Review by Booklist Review
A little wolf cannot get to sleep. What he needs, he decides, is a teddy bear, but where do teddy bears come from? His oft-repeated question to a host of storybook characters yields wonderful allusions for young listeners. Not only do three not-so-little pigs and Little Red Riding Hood have trouble getting beyond the big-bad-wolf image, but they also have no idea where to find a teddy bear. When the wolf runs into an old man with a broken truck, the innocent protagonist hastens to explain he is not big and bad, but the rosy-faced man is disappointed. He needs someone to huff and puff and blow his tire up. Wolf obliges and gets a present in return for his good deed. The abstract, angular images are particularly striking. Although the repetition of the text goes on for a beat too long, the recurrence of the triangular shapes in the wolf's head, windows, and even Santa creates appealing unity in this quirky Christmas offering.--Austin, Patricia Copyright 2009 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A glass of milk, a cuddle with mom and a bedtime story don't help a small gray wolf fall asleep; what he needs is a teddy bear. Determined to find out where they come from, he journeys through a fairy tale wood where he meets the Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood and Santa Claus (and is repeatedly mistaken for a "big bad wolf"). When he fixes the flat tire on Santa's "big red truck," he's aptly rewarded with the object of his affection. Though some may struggle to decipher what's happening in Ayto's visually complicated spreads, more sophisticated readers will like this offbeat Christmas story. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--This charming story plays with the conventions of familiar nursery tales. When a glass of milk, a cuddle, and his favorite story don't help a little wolf fall asleep, he determines that what he needs is a teddy bear. Unfortunately his mother doesn't know where to get one and serenely sends him off with a picnic lunch to find out. He asks Wise Owl, who sends him off to ask the Three (not-so-little) Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood. After dealing with their issues about Big Bad Wolves, the little wolf is on his way to Goldilocks, hoping she will know the answer when he bumps into a chubby old man with a flat tire. So he HUFFS and he PUFFS and fixes the tire. As a thank you, the bearded man promises him an answer to his question in the morning--and a teddy bear is delivered. With its lively, bold watercolors filled with humorous details, this tale is likely to be a storytime hit well beyond the Christmas season.--Anne Connor, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An utterly appealing little gray wolf sets off on a quest to find a teddy bear of his own in this fresh, original Christmas story that integrates fairy-tale characters into the plot. In proper fairy-tale fashion, the little wolf in turn asks Wise Owl, the Three Little Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood where he might find his own teddy bear. Then the little wolf helps an old man (with a white beard) fix the tire on his red truck by huffing and puffing air into the tire, and the next morning the wolf finds a wrapped package by his bed containing his own teddy bear. All the elements of a winner come together in this enchanting effort: a charming main character, Ayto's stylish mixed-media illustrations with a jazzy color palette, polished prose and a rewarding story. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
