Wolfgang in the meadow

An ambitious ghost learns a necessary lesson about balance in Wen's fully imagined story. Wolfgang, who enjoys traditional ghostly exploits as well as time spent in nature, aspires to take over haunting the Dark Castle from his hero. When an opportunity to compete for the role of successor arises, the protagonist stops his meadow meandering and puts "all his spirit into his goal. He didn't have time for non-spooky things." His hard work pays off, and his walls are soon covered with flattering newspaper clippings and awards. But over time, Wolfgang feels something is "missing" and begins to lose his powers, until a chance encounter reconnects him with prior passions that are allowed to bloom once more. Working in graphite, gouache, and colored pencil strokes, Wen gives the spreads a smudgy but delicate quality that helps paint a gentle portrait of Wolfgang's all-too-human need to achieve work/afterlife balance. Ages 4--8. (July)

An adorable ghost who loves romping in nature andscaring people finds a way to embrace both sides of his personality. Wolfgang lives in a meadow alongside a group of fellow supernatural beings. He spends his time practicing spooky skills such as casting spells and making things fly, hoping to one day succeed his hero, the Mighty Hubert, as haunter of the Dark Castle. But when he achieves his dream, he realizes he misses his cloud-gazing, wildflower-picking days. Can Wolfgang balance the spooky with the sweet? The vibrant digital images, which incorporate graphite, colored pencils, gouache, and acrylic gouache, rely on a warm, bright palette to depict meadow scenes and grayscale and shadowy neutrals to depict the Dark Castle. Readers will delight in poring over the whimsical creatures: Wolfgang has expressive eyes and rosy cheeks under his ghostly sheet, while the other supernatural beings include a red, white-eyed creature with snakes for hair, a bearded cat with a pink unicorn horn, and a mummy with a pirate's eyepatch and bandana. Fans of Jessie Sima's Not Quite Narwhal (2017), which also centers on a mythological being who's learning to blend various aspects of life, will delight in Wolfgang. A whimsical story about carving one's own path and staying true to oneself. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.