Great Wolf and the Good Woodsman

Great Wolf and the Good Woodsman, illustrated by Charles Mikolaycak.

Looking down on the cottage of the Good Woodsman one Christmas Day, lonely Great Wolf saw a deer, a squirrel and a chickadee gathered outside, clearly concerned. For that kindly man had not emerged, to give them the feast they expected on this special day. When the animals discover that the woodsman has been injured, they wonder how to get help. Then the Great Wolf steps forward, offering to ask assistance from the dog of a nearby man, who will then be led to the woodsman. True to his word, he does just that, and all ends well, with the woodsman receiving help and the animals having their feast...

Published in 1967 by Parents Magazine Press, Great Wolf and the Good show more Woodsman was initially illustrated by the wonderfully talented Charles Mikolaycak. In 2005 it was republished by the University of Minnesota Press with new artwork from the equally talented Betsy Bowen. I love the work of both these artists, and fully intend to read both versions, but I started with the original one. I found it lovely, both in terms of the story and in terms of the visuals. I wasn't familiar with author Helen Hoover before picking this book up, but apparently she and her husband were pioneers in the back to the land movement in the 1950s, leaving careers in Chicago to live in the north woods of Minnesota. She wrote a number of works of nonfiction about this for adult readers, which I now hope to track down. In any case, the story here is wonderful, offering a sympathetic depiction of the figure of the wolf, without fully domesticating him. What makes this possible of course, is the magic of Christmas, when all the animals can come together in peace. Perhaps the Good Woodsman in this scenario, is therefore a Christ figure? The accompanying illustrations from Mikolaycak are striking, with a stylized sensibility that feels well suited to the story. Recommended to picture book readers looking for woodland tales set at Christmas time. show less

Nature writer Helen Hoover wrote Great Wolf and the Good Woodsman, and Betsy Bowen illustrated it with hand-colored woodcuts. It is a forest Christmas story with a message of peace, tolerance, and kindness. The animals in the forest have to Christmas dinner because the good woodsman fell inside his cabin, so the wolf ends up helping. This is a realistic story and there isn't too much about Christmas other than the meal. The book could be used at other times of the calendar year. Children could be asked inferring questions as the story is read.

Amazon.com Beloved nature writer Helen Hoover tells a delightful children’s fable that will stir a sense of wonder and discovery in anyone who has ever felt the magic of the forest and imagined it a lively village of talking animals.

Many years ago Great Wolf, a mighty hunter feared by all the animals in the forest, looked down on a deer, squirrel, and chickadee waiting for the Good Woodsman to provide a feast of cedar, corn, and seeds. The animals discover the Good Woodsman injured inside his house and with no fire in his stove. Worrying that he will freeze, the animals are disheartened that they have no way to help him. Great Wolf knew only he could rescue the Good Woodsman. When Great Wolf’s plan succeeds, the animals and the show more Good Woodsman invite the once-ostracized wolf to share Christmas dinner, and they realize that everyone has good things to offer if given the opportunity.
From the Great Wolf and the Good Woodsman, published in 1967, to The Hero of Bremen, published in 1993, award-winning Charles Mikolaycak has delighted children and adults alike with his exquisitely designed and articulated illustrations. show less