By Mira Reisberg
Whispers of the Wolf by Pauline Ts’o is a beautiful story bound to pull on your heartstrings. It takes us back 500 years to the life of a Pueblo boy called Two Birds. Shy and insecure because of his size, he spends time searching for medicinal plants with his grandfather when he finds a helpless wolf pup and brings it home to care for it. As the wolf pup heals, Two Birds finds himself getting to know and growing closer to the other boys in his village, even telling them stories about his wolf. Time passes and he finds himself with a confidence he previously didn’t possess, becoming friends with both his wolf and his peers. But when summer fades into fall and traveling wild wolves call to the saved wolf pup, Two Birds has to make a choice—should he keep the wolf bound to stay with him, or release him to join a new wolf pack?
Pauline has a wonderful way of infusing a wide variety of emotion with her words and images using a short, simple sentence structure.
The gorgeous illustrations are detailed with unique textures that add life, power, and movement to the scenes. Pauline's use of color contributes to each spread being a work of art on its own. In the wee video below I try to give a glimpse at Pauline's skill in creating this multilayered book that deals with friendships on many levels, pre-Colonial times, inter-generational relationships, having to make an ethical decision, and the vibrancy of contemporary First Nations' culture through beautiful writing and art opening up all sorts of doors for rich discussions.
