The Girl and the Wolf

The Girl and the Wolf tackles the stereotype of the big bad wolf (or other typically villainous character) in an interesting way. Where other versions of the classic story end in horror as the evil wolf devours the unsuspecting grandmother, this twist portrays the wolf as a character who wants to help and guide the little girl home. 

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In his article titled Story as World Making, Kathy G. Short states that "what is often overlooked is that literature and stories are a way of knowing the world" (Short, 2012). She goes on to elaborate that in a world of standardized testing and hundreds of standards, educators often forget that literature can serve as a gateway to some of life's most crucial human experiences. Often the toughest of these life experiences can be made easier and less traumatic through the use of powerful literature, such as The Girl and the Wolf. In the story, Vermette combats the villain stereotype in a way that is applicable to other stories and their parallels to other forms of stereotyping that are so prevalent today. In The Girl and the Wolf, the girl has no reason to fear the wolf aside from her mother's warnings that they . For all she knows, he is another inhabitant of the forest she anxiously wanders through. This theme frames the perfect discussion with students about deconstructing the reasons for unfounded fears or anxieties that can lead to racism and profiling in school settings and communities in general. Children are attentive to the concepts and ideas presented in books, and The Girl and the Wolf serves as a powerful example of ways we can examine our prejudices. This life experience of battling prejudices, racism, and profiling can be made more accessible by the use of the book in the classroom. Teachers can use this as the basis for a discussion on preconceived notions and stereotyping, as these often develop with intention or awareness.

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Additionally, Vermette's bilingual past lends itself to the inclusion of both French and English in this book. While the main text is written in English, parts of the information pages and About the Author include French writing. This language is used authentically as it spoken by both the author and illustrator and represents part of their home and the culture they both grew up in. Something I would like to see in this book would be the inclusion of more of their culture. I would enjoy seeing additional aspects of Canadian culture and the French language incorporated into the storyline.