To the Wolves
Fabeltje the dog doesn’t think much of the new baby in the house. But then a fairy-tale adventure makes the pup realize that Benjamin is more than ‘a toy’.
Anna Woltz’s very first picture book, Naar de wolven (To the Wolves, 2019), is all about Fabeltje. He really is the sweetest dog. The opening picture leaves no doubt about how important he is: Fabeltje is loftily posing on a pile of cushions like a prince on a pea. But this elevated position in the family changes as soon as Benjamin arrives — and Fabeltje is relegated to the dog basket.
When Fabeltje hears the neighbour telling Benjamin not to howl so much or he’ll have to go and join the wolves, Fabeltje decides to reclaim his place as the centre of attention. What follows is an imaginative dream journey, which ends with four hungry wolves and teaches Fabeltje the error of his ways, depicted beautifully, sensitively and affectionately by the incomparable Schuberts.
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