THE BIG BAD WOLF AND ME

A little boy coaches a frightened wolf back to big-badness. Told in chapters and with multiple small drawings on each page, the story reads more like a graphic novel for the very young than a traditional picture book. While walking home from school, a little boy finds a dark, rangy creature cowering on a street corner. At first, he thinks the creature’s a dog, and perhaps a sick one; the boy brings him home for a snack (and keeps him hidden in the closet). The recovery process is slow—when the boy wants to call him Zorro, the wolf responds that his name is Bernard—but eventually, cookies and loving care turn Bernard/Zorro back into the child-chasing beast he once, apparently, was. Perret makes maximum use of white space in her illustrations and economy in her text. Beautifully designed, both sophisticated and sublimely silly, this should please readers and listeners of all ages. (Picture book. 4+)