Waiting for Wolf; Sandra Dieckmann

​Waiting for Wolf is a moving and heart-felt tale of friendship and grief.

Fox and Wolf spend a glorious day together. As the sun shone, they played by the lake, they swam, and they laughed and talked. It was the most beautiful of days and as the stars sparkled later that evening the two friends sat together and enjoyed the beauty of the world. But the next day Wolf was nowhere to be found…

This is a story that is both beautiful and sad in equal measure. Fox and Wolf share the highs of friendship and making wonderful memories together and Fox experiences the heartache and grief of losing a dear friend. The book is deep and meaningful. The joy the two friends share at the beginning of the story as they play together and sit together is a thing of beauty and then the comes the deep and meaningful conversation. At the end of the day, Wolf asks Fox to remember this day forever and as they sit under a starlit sky, Wolf tells Fox that, “Tomorrow I will be straight.” Fox does not really understand what is meant by this and spends the whole of the next day searching for Wolf who is nowhere to be found. At night, as Fox sits down by the lake under the same starlit sky the most beautiful of events unfold. Fox remembers Wolf’s softly spoken words from the night before and a moment of clarity is experienced and Fox knows exactly where Wolf will be.

I really feel Fox’s pain at losing Wolf but there is a real uplifting moment when Fox is wrapped in the starry blanket and as the tears roll down her face she knows that she must enjoy life, because as Wolf says, “Life really is beautiful.”

The illustrations that accompany the text are full of warmth and heart. Dieckmann beautifully illustrates happiness, raw emotions, grief and the prospect of hope.

The message in the book, enjoy life, remember the good times and cherish the memories. A big, beautiful hug of a book that will bring comfort and solace to readers young and old when a loved one dies.

Recommended for 5+.