Wolf Christmas is a Marshall Cavendish publication.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2?After waking up from a winter's nap, a family of wolves anticipate a visit from Uncle Louis, a funny relative who likes to share interesting adventures with the young pups. Stinkface, the young narrator, relates how on this particular night, Louis shows them something special. With him, they bound through the woods, stopping on a hillside above a small village. There, they observe colored lights, smell various scents, and hear singing, obvious evidence of a Christmas celebration. At the conclusion, while listening to the human voices, the wolves begin to sing (howl), too. Stinkface concludes, "We didn't see the humans, but we could hear them. They were singing. We listened. It was nice. I thought, Even if they were dangerous, they are animals, just like we are." The childlike felt-marker illustrations convey the playfulness and camaraderie of the wolves in their snowy nighttime habitat, but the text is unconvincing. The sudden anthropomorphizing of Stinkface's perspective, the sly but too tenuous connection with Christmas, and the vapid conclusion do not ring true. Most children will be left out in the cold.?MMH
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 4^-8. An offbeat solstice tale from the master of the offbeat is marvelously matched by his wife's distinctive felt-pen illustrations. Three wolf pups wake on the longest night of the year to gambol in the snow, delighted when their father announces the imminent arrival of Uncle Louis. Poppa Wolf notes that Uncle Louis "is not a serious wolf" but agrees to let him lead the pups and the adults off to see a human village, bedecked with holiday finery and full of the sound of humans singing. The wolves sing, too, and our "pretty little wolf" narrator notes that the humans "are animals, just like we are." The author works wolf habits and lore into the simple dialogue, as the wolves nuzzle and play with each other, and the illustrator gives each wolf a distinctive look and personality, from big, black Uncle Louis to silvery Aunt Fang. The wolves, the snow, and the night sky make wonderful patterns on the pages, and the playful, anthropomorphic text will cheer and amuse. GraceAnne A. DeCandido

"At the heart of this winter holiday season lies a sense of connection among creatures great and small. Thanks to the Pinkwaters, we can, together, feel the wind in our fur." -- Smithsonian, November, 1998