Wolf and Bear

Wolf’s enthusiasm for fun and games is almost irrepressible. She wants to catch and splash and tumble and munch, but sometimes her best friend Bear feels too sad to respond. When the shadow of the mountain calls him, Wolf can do nothing to persuade Bear back into the light. Full of pain, she withdraws, howling a song which travels deep into Bear’s shadow. Finally something is able to reach him in that dark place and touch his heart.

In this sensitive and beautifully illustrated picturebook, text and pictures work together to explore mental health and wellbeing in a way that readers of all ages will respond to and enjoy. Wolf listens to Bear and tries many ways of helping him, but she won’t accept the jagged outbreak of aggression that becomes the story’s turning point, and it’s her honest expression of grief that enables Bear to inch his way back. Unusually for audiences of this age, there is no miracle cure. Bear’s sadness isn’t vanquished immediately, and when he does emerge from the darkness, it’s on his own terms. Playing is out of the question, but Wolf continues to listen and adapt, and when Bear suggests an alternative – sitting quietly as Wolf sings – she’s more than happy to agree.

Kate Rolfe’s well-written story is fun to read and share, but her artwork is every bit as eloquent as her text. Colour and movement are important throughout, cueing us to interpret not just the characters’ actions, but their state of mind and heart. It’s notable that Wolf’s body (and attention) is always directed towards her friend, while Bear’s sadness is described as something ‘falling on him’ that ‘draws him away’, and this is reflected in his posture and response. And when Wolf ventures into Bear’s blue shadow, her pale body is lit by her own peachy-coloured mood, which battles with the very edges of Bear’s shadow but can’t survive its depths.

As Kate notes in her afterword, she used ‘a technique of painting with sunlight and shadow’ called cyanotype in this book. A relatively unusual printing process, it relies on sunlight to expose an image, and its presence here reflects the metaphor of light and shade that expresses the characters’ emotions. Kate added soft colour with crayons, pastels and digital drawing to create luminous spreads with a gentle, dreamy feel: the only hard-edged shape or texture is Bear’s growling silhouette.

There’s an authenticity about Bear’s experience (and Wolf’s reaction to it) that draws us deep into this story and makes it easy to engage, but fundamental issues about mental health, wellbeing and relationships are also being explored in ways that prompt reflection, discussion and growth. Wolf demonstrates the power of true friendship in practical, achievable ways that will spark audiences to consider their own and others’ behaviour: Wolf is the kind of friend we all want to have, and this quietly moving account of her compassion and care will help young readers develop empathy and insight.