Macmillan Children's Books (3+) 1035019574 (Paperback) Download activities and reading resources pack
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A tender look at feelings of sadness and despondency which is relayed in a way that is accessible and resonates with readers of all age. Wolf and Bear have been friends forever and enjoy spending time together, but when Bear begins to feel low, he wants to be on his own. There’s an intimacy and closeness between the two friends and how they feel throughout.
There is a controlled and measured use of light and dark throughout. This helps to highlight the mood of the characters and is a major success of the book. There is a radiant quality to the illustrations. Use of cyanotyping emphasises this and underlines the powerful feelings that both Wolf and Bear experience. Use of body posture and expression means the anthropomorphic approach is clear and consistent making the story accessible to all backgrounds and experiences. The pacing is perfectly achieved, it is compelling, emotive and convincing throughout. Warm, empathetic and richly layered, the artwork sings!
Illustrator’s Video
Shadowers’ Challenge
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As well as winning 3rd place in the 2022 Macmillan Prize for Illustration, Kate was shortlisted for several other awards open to students and won her categories in both the V&A Illustration Awards and AOI World Illustration Awards.
In this, her first picture book, Kate uses the unusual technique of cyanotype – a photographic process which relies on sunlight to expose the image, in perfect synergy with the metaphor of light and shade used to express the emotions of the book. The colour in the illustrations was added with crayon, pastel and digital drawing.
Kate studied Animation at Plymouth College of Art before moving to do a BA in Film Production at the Northern Film School. She’s worked in theatre, graphic design and marketing as well as creating a drawing app for the iPad. She also has an MA in Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art. Aside from writing & illustrating, she works in textile design, teaches and lectures in illustration, and runs regular online drawing and writing sessions. She lives in the Suffolk countryside with her wobbly cat, Pip.
I found this book heartwarming. The illustrations really captured the feelings of each individual character. The bear painted blue and the wolf white explained the difference between the personalities of the two furry creatures. I liked that when the bear was sad at this part of his story. The illustrator would emphasize how he/she was feeling by the use of shadows. In contrast, the wolf was always in sunshine! This shows the differences between them , at a glance and is powerful. I thought the colours were engaging, bright and sometimes, subtle. Overall, I really loved the style and artwork in this book.
Anna
Rebel Readers
Freddie
Danum Doodlers Does Books
Cataleya
Danum Doodlers Does Books
I like Wolf and Bear because how it's nice how Wolf wants to play and Bear says no but at the end he says yes.
Olivia
Danum Doodlers Does Books
It's very dark but it gets brighter - I like this book.
Ethan
Danum Doodlers Does Books
It's very dark but they can still see the bright. I like this book of Wolf and Bear.
Poppy
Danum Doodlers Does Books
this book is really easy to understand some of the feelings like when bear is sad and wolf wants to play but bear is in the shadows but its a 10/10 book
lawrence
Danum Doodlers Does Books
I found Wolf and bear very touching especially as through the book you learn that there isn't just a happily ever after and even if there is it takes time. I think this book attracts young readers however as a little girl I don't think I would have understood the full story. It catches one's eye especially the artwork. I think this is a lovely story . However to pursue it's full potential it could improve with making things clearer for young kids. But overall this was moving and had a beautiful way of showing it, sometimes you're not ready and sometimes you need to accept that that's OKAY!!
Maya
Sheringdale Page Turners
Wolf and bear is a very inspiring book for all ages. I love the illustrations as they are incredibly detailed and the book is about the friendship between a wolf and a bear who used to be best friends. Also how sometimes everyone needs a break.
Grace
Sheringdale Page Turners
Wolf and Bear was a really good book and although it was sad at the beginning, it had a happy ending! It was really cool the way the bear carried a little orange leaf throughout the whole story. It's the little details that catches peoples eyes. I think this book is for everyone to read but I know ages 3-6 will love it. I gave it a 8/10.
summer
Rebel Readers
A beautiful story with two amazing characters. I never wanted it to end. It is a story which can be appreciated at all ages. It caught me emotionally and I loved every word. It is a story which can actually happen in all our lives but told through magical artwork and wonderful language. A magnificent story.
Bay
Sheringdale Page Turners
Wolf and bear I like it because it’s about a bear and wolf that are best friends but then bear goes in the shadow then does not want to play but when wolf sings bear likes it and becomes friends with wolf again
Ruby
Barrow Bookworms
I liked this story because it was about friendship and I like stories about friendship
Sofia
Barrow Bookworms
Pretty good book for children learning about friendship .Nice colour clash with black, white and a bit of rainbow.
Adriana
Brooke Weston Book Busters
It was a very good book with good descriptions of the things that happened in the book. It had vibrant colours but was also calming with a good description of what the characters look like. Over all, it was a good book and I would recommend for someone of any age.
Grace
Brooke Weston Book Busters
This book was vey wholesome and it shows you just how important friendship is and the vibrant colours represent the happiness friendship can give you and it is important to have a friend.
Charlie
Brooke Weston Book Busters
It was ok. I would personally suggest it for 4+
Nicol
Brooke Weston Book Busters
The wolf and the bear illustrations are filled with vivid beautiful colours. It tells an amazing story of friendship and loyalty. The colours match the feelings of the two characters which in my opinion is very smart. It fills the reader with joyfulness whilst also exploring the negative emotions and making us realise that at times we will feel a bit of sadness but with good friends that can be lifted. The only negative thing about this book is that the words will be a bit tricky for the age rating and they may need a little bit of help to understand the story/theme. Overall the illustrations are amazing! well done Kate Rolfe.
Luca
The WH shadowers
Already from the front cover that the book is very colourful and bright a specially for 3 year olds . It looks very inviting and magical . The story could use some more child friendly words so that they can understand the different emotions more but overall it is a good book that shows how real friendship can help us feel better. The Bear is shown in very dark colours and the Wolf in white/silver which is a clever link to positive and negative emotions.
Alfie
The WH shadowers
I like the illustration because it uses colour really well. I’m not sure if young children would understand the message but our slightly older group found it interesting
bella
St David’s readers
I think that the kids will love this book because it shows that you can do anything if you try. It reflects how relationships can be sometimes complicated
poppy
St David’s readers
i dont think young people might understand the message, but the book has an interesting story
Meerkat
St David’s readers
This book is very emotional. Advice about friendship and relationship . I love this book, friendship comes and friendship goes. This is the message of the story. It's a wonderful feeling to have fun with friends. I'm sure Wolf and Bear had fun! The colours are so amazing, the illustrations add to the story
Eliza
St David’s readers
this book is very rich in illustrating, with a mix of sadness, happiness and anger. the light and dark colours used mix very well reflecting mood. I love this artwork.
oliver
St David’s readers
Wolf and bear is a beautifully illustrated book with a valuable narrative and bold colours. This story of friendship is fantastic but for those of a younger age, might need some guidance to understand the true meaning behind wolf and bear’s relationship. I love the idea that if you are feeling down or depressed, there is always a light to guide you into positivity which is explored in the book. Colours used throughout really show what emotions can be described by them and this could be a useful way for younger readers to explain their emotions.
Joshua
The WH shadowers
A beautifully illustrated book with an equally beautiful story of friendship and emotions. The colours used are perfect and really relate to the different parts of the story, showcasing positive and negative emotions. The story of how friends can help us feel better, a story that shows how we express different emotions in different ways. It’s not too detailed which makes it accessible for younger readers but some guidance may be needed to offer further explanations around the feelings of sadness/depression that Bear has. The use of blue and grey/black show the negative emotions and then when positivity shines through we see the use of pinks, oranges and yellows.
Mrs Whittaker
The WH shadowers
I personally love animals, especially cats and bears. I really like this book because of the beautiful illustrations and the way wolf and bear are such close friends. I didn't think it would end exactly like that, either. This is a brilliant book!
Farha
Bispham Bookworms
The illustrations were beautiful however most younger kids would not understand the deeper meaning to it and would need adult guidance to be told the meaning but the book is beautiful and ingaging definitely catches people's eyes at first sight.
Mia
Sheringdale Page Turners
I think that this book has amazing illustrations that make the pictures stand out. In my opinion this book would be very interesting for children because the pictures look like they would come to life. I enjoyed this book because I like books with illustrations and less words. This book is about the bear who walked through the shadows and his friend wolf walks beside him and explores their relationship
Dalna
St David’s readers
I think that this book is really inspiring and great for younger children. The illustrations are full of all sorts of shades of blue and detail that make the pictures come to life creating a picture in your mind. This book reminds me a lot about two friends that were always happy together, however then they started getting seperated for some reason. I think adding not a lot of writing makes it easy for a child to read i independently. Reading this book for the first time made me think that the pictures are the most important part since there a lots of them. I think that the colour blue made the story calm and thoughtful. I highly recommend this book since even though it looks childish, the illustrations are amazing and I believe it would interest most children, regardless of their age. This book is a great opportunity for younger children to learn that friendship is important. I think that the author used their imagination to create a format of the story to make it interesting.
Liliana
St David’s readers
I think that this book will please infants and reception classes. Brilliant pictures and hardly any words. Beautiful story all together. Emotional a bit. Excellent story line and use of colours to show emotion . I think this book is a sensation and good reading. Bold text and I recommend this book to others.
Emma
St David’s readers
This was a beautiful, touching, and emotional story about friendship, fun, and boundaries. Although a first glance may make you think this book is for younger readers, it will enchant all ages. Through lovely pictures and engaging words, Katie Rolfe tells the story of Bear, who goes into a sad shadow, being cheered up by Wolf's incredible singing. Bear doesn't completely come out of the shadow, which shows that nobody's perfect and that life can be complicated as a journey. I highly recommend this fantastic book. It's appropriate for all ages, so be sure to read it yourself!
Clara
Sheringdale Page Turners
I really enjoyed this book and thought that this would be great for all ages, not just young children.I really liked how the author used the art technique, cyanotype . I would overall have given this book a rating of 4/5 .
Emily
Sheringdale Page Turners
What I like about this book is that the pictures make the story come to life. What I think could improve is it needs more words. I definitely would recommend it to everyone
Norah
Barrow Bookworms
I really enjoyed this book as it conveyed the power of friendship through an interesting and unique form of illustration. i learnt that even if you and another person don have the same interests it is still possible to find a level ground with each other.
lauretta
OLSB Shadowers
I really enjoyed this book because it portrays realistic emotions and shows that you don't have to be happy all the time. It can also be suitable for many different ages who may understand many different meanings. I also think that the illustrations are really beautiful.
Lara
Sheringdale Page Turners
4/5 stars. I really liked how the colours showed emotions. The illustrations were very detailed and added to the book. The effect of the song being a rainbow was really nice.
Camilla
Norwich High School Bookworms
I enjoyed this book because it had colourful pictures. I think this book is for children under 8.
Emilia
Brooke Weston Book Busters
I like this book because the bear had a flower and the wolf sang a song to the bear but the bear didn't want to play. I think children from toddler age to year 2 would like this book. There was lots of colour when the wolf was having fun but it was dark when the bear wasn't.
Rueben
Brooke Weston Book Busters
The book was good, I liked it when the bear and the wolf reunited and when the wolf howled then the leaf was attached to it so you would follow the rainbow. I think this book is good for 5-8 year olds.
harry
Brooke Weston Book Busters
The book was okay so I kind of enjoyed it because it showed two friends who were together. But, what I didn't like about it was when there was no reason why the bear looked sad. Overall, a good book.
Shiloh
Brooke Weston Book Busters
I thought the use of colour to express the character's emotions was very well done! You could see the way the "shadow" grew darker with Bear's (blue) mood while Wolf remained in the light - A good visual for younger readers. The use of colour to illustrate Wolf's howl was also a well considered choice, as it again illustrated how Wolf's "song" broke through Bear's darkening shadow and lead him back to the light.
Miss Smith
Norwich High School Bookworms
I like the illustrations, especially the wolf singing scenes!
Alexandra
Norwich High School Bookworms
I loved the way they used colour to show emotion. At the start it is all light, and then Bear becomes blue and then it all becomes dark to show Bear's depression. Then at the end it becomes light again as Bear's depression fades away and they are happy again.
Violet
Norwich High School Bookworms
I like the book because its like two different emotions one which is a sad emotion and a happy emotion. Eventually the bear gets affected by wolf’s happy emotions and starts to get happier. It’s also very heart warming and makes me really emotional.
Rene
Sheringdale Page Turners
Absolutely love the pictures. A really nice book filled with amazing illustrations and meaningful messages. One of the few picture books that can actually appeal to many age groups.
Isla
Sheringdale Page Turners
Wolf and Bear was a great book. The illustrations were amazing and I would 100% recommend this book for all ages.
Emina
Sheringdale Page Turners
