The Wolf Hour
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
A girl. A wolf. A red cape. And ... pigs? In the vein of A Tale Dark and Grimm, this gorgeously written, endlessly surprising retelling explores the stories and wildness that define us.Welcome, my little lambs, to the Puszcza. It's an ancient forest, a keeper of the deepest magic, where even the darkest fairy tales are real.Here, a Girl is not supposed to be a woodcutter. Or be brave enough to walk alone.Here, a Wolf is not supposed to love to read. Or be curious enough to meet a human.And here, a Story is nothing like the ones you read in books, for the Witch can make the most startling tales come alive. All she needs is a Girl from the village, a Wolf from the forest, and a woodcutter with a nice, sharp axe. So take care, little lambs, if you step into these woods. For in the Puszcza, it is always as dark as the hour between night and dawn -- the time old folk call the Wolf Hour. If you lose your way here, you will be lost forever, your Story no longer your own.You can bet your bones.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The story of Little Red Riding Hood intersects with that of the Three Little Pigs in this complex fantasy, set in and around an alluring but treacherous Polish forest known as the Puszcza. In this folktale world, readers meet a woodcutter's daughter named Magia, who is enticed by a powerful red cape offered to her by a carefully disguised witch; a young wolf named Martin who has no sense of tracking but adores books; and three pigs who long for their absent mother. As these narrative strands intersect, the retellings illustrate the power of story while blending humorous details, such as Martin's photographic memory of his books, with an abundance of magic. Holmes (Operation Yes) offers additional ruminations on the nature of story in occasional notes directed at readers. But although elements of these interwoven tales are individually compelling, such as Magia's desire to ease her mother's depression, the machinations and intersections become excessively complicated, causing the storytelling to bog down. Ages 8 12.
