WOLFBOY

A hungry Wolfboy hunts rabbits in this visually arresting picture book.

Harkness’ note on the copyright page explains that the illustrations in the picture book began as pencil sketches to establish composition, and then he modeled the settings and characters from clay and photographed the scenes. The result is an aesthetic that sets this book apart from others in its achievement of a layered, cinematic feel. Blue Wolfboy himself appears more monster than wolf and would fit right in on Sesame Street. As the narration repeatedly recounts, he’s “HUNGRY and HUFFY and DROOLY and GROWLY,” and he’s hunting for rabbits to eat. Readers will delight in spying small, yellow rabbits against the dark, nighttime backgrounds that Wolfboy traverses on his unsuccessful hunt, which is carried out with excellent, frequently all-caps verbs: “Wolfboy YOWLED and GROWLED. He CLOMPED and TROMPED.” And at the book’s end little ones will cheer the happily-ever-after resolution that leaves Wolfboy satiated and the clever rabbits safe and sound. Throughout, artful, expressive typography contributes to the overall success of the picture book, guiding the reader’s voice to deliver a dynamic read-aloud that matches the visual drama of the art.

A read-aloud treat for hungry audiences.