I Am a Wolf

March 4, 2019
A small, watermelon-shaped dog with two sharp fangs and prick ears barks like a ferocious wolf. But, judging by the amused expressions on the shelter workers’ faces, she’s not that scary. Prospective pet owners react differently to the wannabe wolf as she tries to prove herself unadoptable—she tears up her bed (“I am not cute”) and gobbles down her food (“I am not sweet”), then sits miserably in her enclosure, quietly insisting “I am a lone wolf.” But readers will notice someone noticing her—an exuberant girl in a tutu who kisses her and names her “Wolf.” Debut creator Miller’s boldly expressive cartoons show the varying temperaments of dogs and humans. Even the lone wolves of the world, her friendly story suggests, need love. Ages 4–8.

Starred review from March 1, 2019
Wolf vigorously denies that he's cute. He's wrong.The eponymous wolf is a rotund, fanged, puglike, stray dog, and its first-person narration is printed in emphatic capital letters: "MOST WOLVES LIVE IN PACKS...BUT NOT ME. / I AM A LONE WOLF." This last line is accompanied by pictures of two apron-clad people approaching the little dog. The aprons are emblazoned with a paw-print emblem, and the people cautiously crate the dog as it snaps and cries, "BARK BARK BARK." The next spread shows the dog glowering in a pen within a cheery-looking animal shelter. The text reads, "I'M FINE ON MY OWN," as happy, diverse families (notably including same-sex couples) smile while interacting with other dogs. Just below this textual rebuff arrives the girl poised to flout such sentiments. She has brown skin and voluminous, curly black hair, and she's trailed by a woman who reads as her mother, with similar coloring, and a white-appearing, bespectacled man who reads as her dad. Unlike others, the girl is charmed by the dog, who continues to "BARK!" even at sympathetic workers. In a wordless spread, notable for its spare focus on them alone, the girl hugs the dog, then dashes away, leaving it bereft. But! She returns, leash in hand, and Wolf leaves with her family, now exclaiming, "I AM WOLF. / AND THIS IS MY PACK." Working digitally, newcomer Miller creates her cartoon characters with emphatic swatches of matte color against generous white space.Lovable. (Picture book. 3-6)

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August 30, 2019

PreS-Gr 1-In this first-person narrative, a short, roly-poly stray is taken to the animal shelter for adoption. She calls herself Wolf, as in lone wolf. Not cute or sweet, she's a scary beast who tends to bark a lot. At the shelter, all of the other dogs are being adopted, but not Wolf, which is not a problem because she claims that she's fine on her own. But the illustrations tell a different story. They show a sad pup acting out to spare herself the pain of rejection. Yet in the middle of the disapproving faces is a girl, Penny, who knows that this is the dog for her. As the shelter workers console the unadopted Wolf, she barks, "I am not cute!!!" But Penny just gives the dog a hug, gets her leash, and calls her by the name she has chosen-Wolf. As the forever family leaves, the happy dog barks, "I am Wolf and this is my pack." Miller's digital illustrations perfectly convey Wolf's personality and her reality. There's plenty of white space for emphasis and great facial expressions. VERDICT This simple tale of animal adoption can be read on several emotional levels. An engaging addition.-Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH

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