The Wolf The Duck & The Mouse

Written by Mac Burnett and Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Published 2017 by Walker Books. 

 I will start at the end of this tale.  A wolf sits and howls at the moon, “Oh woe! Oh woe!” because he is a very woeful beast indeed.  And the reason he feels so sorry for himself is because inside his stomach a duck and a moue are having a disco in the place that they like to call home. 

​For the duck and the mouse, it was a chance encounter for they both were both swallowed by the wolf at the same time and whilst the mouse thinks it is the end for him the duck has no intention of being eaten.  In fact, he has decided to make the best of the situation as he is now in a safe place and doesn’t need to be worried about constant threat of wolves anymore.
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All is fine for the two squatters and they live a comfortable life inside the wolf until the wolf becomes the hunted and needs to run for his life.  Once entangled in the forest undergrowth the wolf is trapped and easy prey for the hunter.  His inhabitants take it upon themselves to protect their host and chase the hunter away.  Readers will enjoy the image of the mouse, astride the ducks back, flying out of the wolf’ mouth wearing his cooking pot helmet and brandishing his hockey stick as a weapon.  

Once they have chased the hunter away, the wolf bows down in thanks to the mouse and the duck pledging to grant any request that they have.  This is reason why the wolf sits howling at the moon, “Oh woe! Oh woe!” because there are two small creatures having a disco in his stomach.

Mac Burnett tells a wonderful story which, due to the traditional characters who feature, has a fairy-tale feel about it that is reinforced by the traditional language used.  The fable explains why the wolf howls at the moon but also teaches the reader that those of us who have a positive and flexible outlook on life will flourish – just like the duck.

Klassen’s artwork complements the story perfectly, he leaves behind the minimalism of ‘Triangle’ and ‘Square’ and adopts a more ‘painterly’ style.  The wolf has a look of Klassen’s fox in ‘Pax’ by Sarah Pennypacker but he seems to be a little less refined.
 
There is little doubt in my mind that this book is worthy of its place on the shortlist on the Klaus Flugge Prize.