These gorgeously illustrated short stories not only express life wisdoms but also a mischievous sense of fun in their brevity.  

Brilliant for reading with children from four upwards, the tales reflect the characters of the two animals. The first story, ‘Bacon’ (guess what’s coming, with a hungry wolf on the scene) opens simply with ‘”Dog is Wolf’s cousin. Wolf is Dog’s cousin. That’s strange because: Wolf is wild. And Dog is tame.”

Shining a light on the differences and similarities between a timid little dog and a rather ravenous wolf, these tales are expressed in simple sentences laid out almost like poetry

Originally written in Flemish, none of the eloquence of the language is lost in English as Dog has to negotiate the perils of dealing with a wolf in his owner’s home. Dog never forgets his manners, and is willing to make a stand when Wolf puts trust, honesty and justice to the test.

Animal stories are a popular way in which parents build their own children’s sense of the rights and wrongs in relationships, and author Vanden Heede takes that on in a surprisingly sophisticated yet accessible way while Tolman’s colourful illustrative style adds a classic fairy tale sense of darkness to complete this fresh classic.

Author Notes Sylvia Vanden Heede was born in Belgium in 1961. She is an established Flemish children’s book author; the Dutch edition of ‘Wolf and Dog’ won the Dutch Flag & Pennant Award (Vlag en Wimpel Griffeljury).

Illustrator Profile Marije Tolman was born in the Netherlands and studied design at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, and also studied illustration at Edinburgh College of Art.