WILD THING! Wolfboy by Andy Harkness

THE MOON WAS FULL.

Of course it was.

WOLFBOY WAS HUNGRY.

And not a rabbit in sight. Where are they?

Wolfboy was ...

HUNGRY!

Wolfboy stomped through the dark woods and through the clouded creek, and slogged his way through the soggy bog, not noticing the snorkel-masked rabbit watching from underwater or the one hiding under a lily pad.

HE WAS HUNGRY AND HUFFY AND DROOLY.

"RABBITS! WHERE ARE YOU?"

He climbs an old oak tree, not spotting the rabbits running out of the forest. He marches across Moonberry Meadow getting even more cranky.

WOLFBOY WAS HUNGRY AND HUFFY AND DROOLY AND GRUMPY AND FUSSY!!

Where are those wascally wabbits?

But what's that he spies in the tall grass? Rabbit ears? He charges, his snout wide open as the rabbits keep coming. But what's that they are all carrying high over their heads?

"WE MADE YOU A MOONBERRY PIE!"

WOLFBOY CRUNCHED AND MUNCHED..

.

YUMMY! Wolfboy is...

... HAPPY!

All's well that ends with a well-fed Wolfboy in Andy Harkness' jolly story of besting the Hungries, Wolfboy (Bloomsbury, 2021), illustrated delightfully with author-illustrator Harkness' clay sculptures in strong color contrasts and with a wolfish hero-villain, both cute and cantankerous, and some crafty cooks among the coneys in his woods. This brand-new picture book is clever eye-candy and wonderful wordsmithery, with irresistible rhymes for read-aloud fun with all kinds of possibilities for interactive reading with preschool and primary children.

With the fanciful, psychological, and visual power of Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, Harkness has created a new classic for children today, crafted beautifully in humorous clay sculptures that portray a hopeful theme that when creatures have all they need, the lion figuratively lies down with the lamb, and the wolf knoshes on pastries with the bunnies.

Says Booklist, "“The text is delightful and simple, using repetitive variations that naturally encourage participation in read-aloud settings, but it's the exceptional artwork that truly makes this a masterpiece. . . . An imaginative and completely immersive reading adventure.”