Rose Wolves
by Natalie Warner is a childlike, fairy tale story fitting for eight to twelve-year-olds. This graphic novel has no written dialogue, but the story plays out before the reader’s eyes. Instead of black-and-white, the illustrations are white, black, and many shades of red, compatible with the book’s title.
The main character is a girl who loves roaming in the woods and picking plants. She discovers a black bush with red roses, plucks off a rose, and puts it in a vase. Under the full moon’s light, a black wolf pops out of the rose, and the petals trail behind him and form his tail. The wolf hangs out with the girl like a pet dog and even sleeps at the foot of her bed, but without the full moon, the wolf’s rose-y tail wilts.
Look at the cells closely, and you may catch important details. At the beginning, the book shows a full moon on a calendar, foreshadowing the significance of this time. In other cells, sparkles float around the rosebush and rose stems, which hint at the roses’ special-ness. The author gives the wolf reddish eyebrows, and it helps the reader distinguish his emotions. As the wolf ails further, you see several clocks with different hand positions alongside falling petals, adding urgency to the situation.
I find it clever and sweet that the author adds similarities between the girl and the wolf. The girl is missing the lower part of her arm, and the wolf is missing a leg, forming a connection between the characters. The girl has a pointed tooth, and her hair is burnt red like the shading in the wolf’s tail petals. She learns a lesson from the Rose Wolves, too. Her wolf friend has a tight bond with his pack, showing the girl the value of family. Since then, the girl makes sure she tells her mom she loves her before she leaves for her woodsy walk.
This story creates a unique spin on humans forming friendships with wolves. Adding to the fun, the artist gives us a behind-the-scenes look at her creation, including her sketches, plot map, and what inspired her. She says some of her inspiration came from the taste and color of Twizzlers. I’m sure the candy not only inspired the color red but also the scene where the girl shares strawberries with the wolf.
This book is perfect for any wolf lover, from the reluctant reader to the child who loves storytelling through art.
This wordless two-color graphic novel is an enthralling fable about disability, companionship, and transformation, set in the haunting beauty of the wild. One day, a little girl picks an unusual flower from an unusual bush in the forest. Overnight, the flower blooms and turns into a magical creature: a rose wolf, missing a leg just like she is missing an arm. Together, the new friends must go on a journey to find where they belong. In her graphic novel debut, Canadian cartoonist Natalie Warner presents a moody, tender, and captivating new fairy tale, without using a single word. Fans of Nightlights, Sheets, and The Tea Dragon Society will hold it close and read it again & again.
