Karah Sutton: A Wolf for a Spell (Alfred A. Knopf 2020)
In addition to writing, Karah Sutton, an American/New Zealand author, is involved in marketing and has worked already with Disney, DreamWorks, Fox and Cartoon Network. A Wolf for a Spell is her first book for children and was nominated for several awards.
Zima, the gray wolf, has learned since she was a kid to be afraid of people, especially witches, however, when her herd is in danger, she has to ask Baba Yaga for help. However, Baba Yaga never helps for free… But Zima has no other chance, so she goes into the deal and exchanges body with the witch. In this form, she meets the village girl Nadya, who also came to the witch for help. Zima has to realize that they don’t even differ so much from each other and they have to face a common enemy.
I really liked the story, especially because it included my favorite character from Slavic folklore: the Baba Yaga. A lovely story of friendship, togetherness and courage in front of the scenery of Russian forests. Slavic legends also appeared in it like Ivan and the gray wolf, the firebird, the cruel tsar and of course the house which walks on chicken legs.
The beautiful illustrations are the works of Pauliina Hannuniemi.
To learn more about the writer, you can visit her website: https://karahsutton.com/.
