Review by Booklist Review
Every night Little Wolf's family howls a beautiful song, combining his mother's warm voice, his father's deep one, his sister's sweet one, and his brothers' happy, yappy sound. To his distress, Little Wolf can only squeak, though his parents reassure him that his howl will come in time. One afternoon, he dashes off through the new-fallen snow and realizes that he is lost. Far from home and frightened, he watches the full moon rise and voices a beautiful howl all his own. This effective picture book touches on many issues that children experience: the importance of family, the longing be like parents and admired siblings, the hurt caused by teasing, pride in accomplishments, and the drive toward independence from parents while still depending upon them. Created using digital collage of hand-printed paper, the large-scale illustrations feature clean lines, simple forms, and restrained use of color. Fine for storytimes, this pleasing picture book is sure to inspire a chorus of happy howling.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
According to his sister and brothers, Little Wolf's howl is no great shakes-"all he could manage was a little squeak." Saddened by his siblings' taunts that "[a] wolf who can't howl isn't a real wolf at all," Little Wolf tries to follow his parents' guidance and "give it time." He wanders off on his own to play, admiring the birds' songs, chasing snowflakes, and delighting in the taste of fresh snow. But when Little Wolf becomes lost, far from home beneath a magical yellow moon, he discovers that "the time is right," and his loud howl brings his father to his side. Using a mix of bold colors and textures on a large scale, Teckentrup (Grumpy Cat) crafts Little Wolf's mountain home out of digital collages and speckled papers, making it feel as comforting as Little Wolf's parents' consistently supportive words of advice. An eloquent reminder for late bloomers that, with patience and perseverance, a slow start may turn into "the most beautiful song you have ever heard." Ages 3-6. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Little Wolf's family howls together every night in a beautiful chorus, but the youngster is unable to join in. His brothers and sister have mockingly nicknamed him Squeaky, but his parents assure him that one day he will come into his own. And one night, when he gets lost in the woods, he does. Illustrations done with hand-printed paper and digital collage depict a warm, cuddly wolf family in a soft, wintry setting. Lots of white space, bold text, and large pictures make this story a natural read-aloud that will resonate with children, especially with younger siblings.-Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA (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
It distresses Little Wolf that he can't howl. Mommy and Daddy and all his brothers and sisters have distinctive howls; it's a beautiful song when they all howl together. But all he can manage is a small squeak, earning him "Squeaky" as a name. Mommy and Daddy reassure him that, when the time is right, he'll be able to howl. Sure enough, one snowy day he wanders too far from home and, when darkness falls, he realizes he's lost. He looks up at the big yellow moon and knows that the time is right. His howl carries through the night sky, helping his parents find him and bring him home. The whole family celebrates with a chorus of howls. Teckentrup's digital collages are beautifully composed, artfully placing touches of bright color against the mostly monochromatic snowy landscape, and nicely complement her heartwarming fable, which is told with crisp economy. The vocabulary is both accessible to young readers and deftly nuanced, abetting swift character development. (Picture book. 3-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
