Wolfboy Is Scared

by Andy Harkness

Overview

Perfect for fans of The Gruffalo, Wolfboy shows readers it's okay to be a little bit scared in this funny story about outsmarting fearsome beasts.

The only way for Wolfboy to get home before moonset is by sneaking through the Grumble Monster's lair.

This is no problem for Wolfboy, who's super brave and totally not afraid of anything! But . . . the rabbits should walk ahead. Wolfboy needs to watch their backs after all!

Wait, are those monster claws? Are those monster eyes? Maybe Wolfboy IS scared!

With bold art and a high energy text perfect for reading aloud, Wolfboy Is Scared shows how being afraid is totally normal.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781547604456
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	07/11/2023
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Andy Harkness is the author and illustrator of Wolfboy, which received two starred reviews, and of Bug Zoo. He is an award-winning art director who has worked on Moana, Frozen, and Wreck-it-Ralph, among other movies. After twenty-five years at Disney, he moved to Sony Pictures Animation. He is currently at Skydance Animation, where he is the production designer on an upcoming project. He lives in California with his family.

www.andyharknessart.com

@andyharknessart (Instagram)

@andybugzoo (Twitter)

Editorial Reviews

Harkness' artistry is impeccable. Every page is a masterpiece of multidimensional detail. . . . Mesmerizingly original.” —Booklist Online

“The book's hallmark is its art, which seems to exist in three alluringly lumpy, bumpy dimensions. . . .The candy-colored 'clay' imagery blazes against nighttime blacks and browns, and the shaggy, galumphing monsters set off the cuddlesome rabbits, who would look at home in a child's bedroom, where this book will likely get much play.” —Shelf Awareness

“The distinctive artwork sets Harkness' picture book apart. . . . Sure to soothe anyone who's ever fretted about what's out there in the dark.” —Kirkus Reviews

“An aesthetic that sets this book apart from others in its achievement of a layered, cinematic feel. . . . Throughout, artful, expressive typography contributes to the overall success of the picture book, guiding the reader's voice to deliver a dynamic read-aloud that matches the visual drama of the art. A read-aloud treat for hungry audiences.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on WOLFBOY

“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.” —Booklist, on WOLFBOY

“Readers will feel like they have a front-row seat to a marvelously imagined and sculpted toy theater.” —Publishers Weekly, on WOLFBOY

From the Publisher

2023-04-24
In this follow-up to Wolfboy (2021), an innovative art technique jazzes up a familiar narrative.

After a long night of playing, Wolfboy and his rabbit friends head home. They hope to arrive before moonset, so Wolfboy advises that they use a shortcut “through the lair of the GRUMBLE MONSTER.” As the title suggests, Wolfboy is the one scared by this plan, not the rabbits. Harkness uses perspective to make Wolfboy and the rabbits seem very small as they enter the forest. Wolfboy thinks he sees the monster lurking behind trees, but the rabbits reassure him otherwise (those “claws” are just branches, and that “tail” is just a bramble vine). Readers, however, will notice parts of the monster’s large body in the foregrounds of the illustrations, unseen by the characters. The pacing recalls Julia Danielson and Axel Scheffler’s The Gruffalo, as the monster is revealed bit by bit, and when Wolfboy and the rabbits finally meet him, he’s not so scary after all. This twist brings to mind stories like Rachel Bright’s Love Monster (2012) or even Andrew Clement and Yoshi’s Big Al (1991), but the distinctive artwork sets Harkness’ picture book apart. The Claymation-like illustrations, which Harkness explains in a note he created using a virtual-reality headset, sculpting each page “in much the same way I would sculpt with real clay,” have a 3-D effect, like stills from stop-motion animation. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Sure to soothe anyone who’s ever fretted about what’s out there in the dark. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews