Lone Wolf gets a pet

This early reader comedy, a kickoff to the Lone Wolf series, stars a solitary wolf whose plan to buy jellybeans is frustrated by a cleaned-out candy display. Learning that the confections are being offered as prizes for a Best Pet competition, the protagonist immediately sets about procuring a pet ("Wolf did not have a pet. Wolf did not want a pet. But he did want jellybeans"). A jolly hiker with a trick-savvy dog inspires Wolf to obtain a hound... whose only trick is burying Wolf's shoe outside. Next, Wolf's experiment with feline ownership, inspired by an eager girl with a cool cat, ends badly. And when Wolf arrives at the pet contest with a goldfish, another entrant takes the top prize--and paves the way for Wolf to gain the winner's takings without compromising his nature. Thomas (The Callers) consistently uses the format's short, choppy sentences to draw laughs, while Steele (That Always Happens Sometimes) gives the characters, portrayed with various skin tones, googly eyes and richly emotive expressions. A sure-of-himself protagonist who knows what he needs, Wolf proves an excellent model of both bone-dry humor and secure solitude. Publishing simultaneously: Lone Wolf Goes to School. Ages 6--9. Author's agent: Sophie Hicks, Sophie Hicks Agency. Illustrator's agent: Erica Rand Silverman, Stimola Literary. (Oct.)

Heavens, no, Wolf doesn't need a pet forcompanionship: He's still a proud misanthrope. In his second outing, Wolf yearns for just one thing: jelly beans. But the whole stock has been bought up for prizes in a Best Pet competition. Wolf doesn't like pets, but to score jelly beans, he concludes, he needs a special animal. Watching a hiker's dog sitting up and rolling over convinces Wolf that a pooch will win him the beans. But his decision to adopt a dog ends with canid conflict. Wolf's attempts to prop sunglasses on his adopted cat don't end well, either. Next, Wolf mounts a saddleless horse, but his sinister lupine smile makes the horse bolt. At the contest, Wolf opts to bring a goldfish. The other pets show off their paces: The cat gives a high-five; the horse hugs the judges. Wolf's goldfish is trouble-free, but it doesn't do a thing and doesn't earn a prize. But the winner of the grand prize is quite taken with the goldfish…perhaps there's a way for Wolf to get the coveted jelly beans after all. Refreshingly, Thomas lets Wolf remain his reclusive self--a choice that will readily endear him to readers. From the hiker's lumpish dog to the grinning horse with a selfie stick and, finally, a blissed-out Wolf making jelly bean angels on the floor, the droll art contributes as much to this amusing story as the understated text does. A dryly humorous celebration of solitude--and jelly beans.(Early reader. 6-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.