THE WOLF WHO WANTED TO FALL IN LOVE

Name: THE WOLF WHO WANTED TO FALL IN LOVE
Author: Orianne Lallemand
ISBN: 978-2-7338-5244-6

by Orianne Lallemand ; illustrated by Éléonore Thuillier ; translated by MaryChris Bradley ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 12, 2017

Hapless Wolf gets the girl, though young readers aren’t likely to “get” love from this entry.

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A valentine entry in Lallemand and Thuillier’s series about Wolf.

Lonely Wolf is tired of seeing all the happily paired animals every spring when he himself has no one. So he sets out to find a mate, beginning by asking advice from wise Mr. Owl, who says “You don’t find love, you just fall in love.” Amelia Bedelia–like, Wolf repeatedly throws himself to the ground, to no avail. His friends Alfred, Alex, Big Louie, and Joshua all have advice as well: make yourself attractive, stand out from the crowd, say romantic things, give flowers. But Wolf does all that and is still given the brushoff by a rude, haughty female wolf. Discouraged, he collapses on the road, discarding his sunglasses, cowboy boots, and flowers, only to be bumped into by another lady wolf, this one literally putting hearts in his eyes. And so young readers are introduced to the concept of love at first sight. Thuillier’s wolves have elongated snouts. After falling in love, Wolf’s alert if dim demeanor is transformed by heavy-lidded eyes and an open mouth. Wolfette has curled eyelashes, a swoosh of hair on her head, and a pink bow in her tail. Fans of the series will surely notice that though this seems to present Wolf and Wolfette’s first meeting, she is a character in other books that are already out in English.

Hapless Wolf gets the girl, though young readers aren’t likely to “get” love from this entry. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Dec. 12, 2017

ISBN: 978-2-7338-5244-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Auzou Publishing

Review Posted Online: Sept. 17, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE WOLF WHO SOLVED THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING MASK
by Orianne Lallemand ; illustrated by Elenore Thullier ; translated by MaryChris Bradley

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE MOLE, PLEASE OPEN THE DOOR!
by Orianne Lallemand ; illustrated by Claire Frossard ; translated by MaryChris Bradley

- BOOK REVIEW
THE WOLF WHO LEARNED SELF-CONTROL
by Orianne Lallemand ; illustrated by Éléonore Thuillier ; translated by MaryChris Bradley

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CLYDEO TAKES A BITE OUT OF LIFE

From the Clydeo series

by Jennifer Aniston ; illustrated by Bruno Jacob ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2024

An uplifting tale of family connection and self-discovery.

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Drawing inspiration from her rescue dog Clyde, Emmy-winning actor Aniston tells the story of a pooch seeking his passion.

The Clyde family are a talented bunch of canines: Uncle Clydester adores surfing, Auntie Clydette digs for dinosaur bones, and Great-Grandma Cly-Clyde dances salsa. “Everyone [has] something that [makes] them stand out”—except for young Clydeo, who doesn’t feel special. Clydeo sets out to discover what he loves, guided by an optimistic mantra: “Take a bite out of life, I always say!” As he tries out various relatives’ hobbies, he asks for advice: How will he know when he’s found his “thing”? Grandpa Clyderton, the daredevil, says that his passion makes him “light up.” Second cousin Clydesto, who paints blindfolded, says that art makes his world brighter. Plucky, persistent Clydeo keeps searching. He finds answers while helping his mother cook for a big family meal. “Clydeo [feels] a warm feeling in his belly…He love[s] his family, and he love[s] cooking for them.” Clydeo’s notion of taking a bite out of life proves to be his thing—cooking. The alliteration of the family members’ names, their kernels of wisdom, and the book’s lovable protagonist make for a pleasurable, meaningful read. Jacob’s illustrations of big-eyed, expressive dogs exude charm and personality and make searching for one’s passion seem like utter joy.

An uplifting tale of family connection and self-discovery. (author’s note, photos) (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024

ISBN: 9780063372368

Page Count: 32

Publisher: HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)