Woolf

by Alex Latimer, Patrick Latimer (Illustrator)

Overview

A wolf and a sheep fall in love. They have a son that they call Woolf—he’s half wolf, half woolly sheep! This is Woolf’s story. It’s not easy being different—not quite fitting in with one group or another. When Woolf tries to impress the wolves, he finds it fun for a while, but they’re a bit too wild. When when he tries to follow the sheep, he finds it all a bit, well, boring. Can Woolf find his own way in life and make his own friends that like him for who he is, not who he’s trying to be?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781843653400
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	06/08/2017
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.69(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.12(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Alex Latimer is a hugely successful children’s book author, whose books include The Boy Who Cried Ninja. He lives in Cape Town, South Africa. In this book he collaborates for the first time with his illustrator brother, Patrick Latimer.

Patrick Latimer is a South African illustrator and cartoonist. After several years working as an art director, he made the jump to full-time illustration. His work can be found in magazines, on book covers and wine labels and seen in advertising campaigns.

Editorial Reviews

06/01/2018
PreS-Gr 1—A wolf and sheep fall in love and have a baby. They name the baby Woolf. He looks and behaves in both a wolflike and sheeplike manner. One day he meets a pack of wolves. The wolves, noting that he looks different, ask him what he is. Woolf tells them he is a wolf and he is in disguise to go on a sheep hunt. That night, Woolf shears off all his fluff and pretends to be just another wolf. He enjoys himself, but he discovers that he doesn't like hiding his fluff and he doesn't like hunting rabbits. Woolf meets a flock of sheep and has a similar experience with the sheep. Feeling sad that he does not fit in, his parents find him crying. They explain to Woolf that he is both wolf and sheep and he can't ignore one for the other. The illustrations have a distinct flattened style using natural colors, forested skylines, and a minimalist's amount of detail. The author tackles complex themes—being different, not belonging, and self-acceptance—but perhaps with too much prose for young readers. The ending falls somewhat flat with the reference to Woolf making new friends with a horse fly, bullfrog, and catfish. VERDICT This book that has heart and a good message, but is too simplistic to be effective.—Mindy Hiatt, Salt Lake County Library Services

School Library Journal

2018-03-27
When a wolf and sheep fall in love against the odds, their son must learn to navigate a world that is hostile to being both.Woolf ("wool" plus "wolf") has his mother's pointy nose and bushy tail and his father's fleecy body. He loves to "baa at the moon" and to stalk the best grass in the meadow. When it comes time to make friends, Woolf code-switches to adapt. He shaves his fleece to blend in with the wolves, but his vegetarian ways are not in sync with the wolves' predatory natures. He curls and whitens his tail and smooths down his ears to fit in with the sheep but does not enjoy their aimless wandering. Defeated, Woolf turns away from both groups. Though Woolf finds a personally satisfying ending with new friends such as a bullfrog and a horsefly, whose names imply a similar mixed parentage, it is likely to be a disappointing end for many mixed-heritage children and their families looking for a story that might encourage a healthy integration of their diverse backgrounds. By rejecting the culture and identity of both sheep and wolves, Woolf rejects all the wonderful aspects that make him up as well. Woolf yearns to celebrate diversity but instead paints a bleak picture. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews