Abel and the Wolf

On leaving home, Abel is equipped with three gifts, all material and practical, by both his parents. Having made a journey of many days he reaches a dark forest where he decides to settle. Unfortunately for our hero, the forest belongs to a wolf who has reservations about Abel's intrusion into his woods. When Abel invites the wolf to join him for dinner the wolf sees his opportunity to be rid of the intruder but his plans misfire. Instead, Abel nurses the wolf back to well-being following an accident to his paws and the wolf sees that there is more to be gained from sharing the forest with his new friend. Measured text conveys more than is actually written on the page and merges with Roberti's artwork to give a sense of the dynamic operating between boy and wolf. Fluidity of line and a graduated use of colour convey movement and meaning in each episode of the unfolding drama. The opening and closing endpapers are worth noting too in a book where production values are high.