By Pija Lindenbaum, Translated by Kjersti Board
Raben and Sjogren, 2001
“Do you know the way to day care? Mommy is supposed to pick me up at four.”
“No, we don’t,” the wolves reply. “Then I’ll stay here until they find me,” says Bridget. “Do you want me to play with you?” “We don’t play,” the gray wolves say. “We lurk behind trees and snarl.”
What an utterly odd and charming book. (Again, you can’t go wrong with Swedish children’s books.) Bridget is an extremely careful child who never climbs on roofs or pets dogs. (They might have splinters in their paws, or headaches, or just be grouchy and bite hard.) But when she gets lost in the woods one day and finds herself face to face with a pack of mangy gray wolves, she suddenly takes charge — directing them in games, feeding them mud soup, and even putting them to bed and singing them beautiful, sad songs. It’s a wonderful reminder to kids that just because you’re sometimes fearful doesn’t mean that you can’t also be brave.
Wee Required Reading 