I Am a Wolf

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.