Little Wolf's First Howling

by Laura McGee Kvasnosky (Author) Kate Harvey McGee (Illustrator)

Little Wolf's First Howling
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade
Some may favor the proper way to howl, but what if you have a song in your heart that needs to come out? A delightful, disarmingly funny tale for little and big wolves everywhere. Little Wolf can hardly wait. Tonight he will howl at the moon to the top of the sky. First, Big Wolf demonstrates traditional howling form: AAAAAAAAAAOOOOOooooooooo. Then it's Little Wolf's turn. He's sure he is ready, but when the big moment comes, something happens. Something unexpected, something wild, something unbe-beep-bop-believable! Sisters Laura McGee Kvasnosky and Kate McGee have created a wonderful story about the importance of doing things your own way and being true to your heart when it swells with wildness and joy.
Select format:
Hardcover
$17.99

School Library Journal

Starred Review

PreS-Gr 2--As night falls, a canine father and son head to a hilltop for an important rite of passage. First, Little Wolf watches as Big Wolf models proper howling form: he stands tall, points his muzzle skyward, and sings out a thrilling "AAAAOOOO..." Eager to give it a try, Little Wolf echoes the classic cry but can't stop himself from adding a few ear-pleasing, scat-style embellishments ("dibbity dobbity skibbity skobbity/skooo-woooo-woooo..."). Despite his father's patient tutelage and repeated demonstrations of the accepted method, Little Wolf's creative voice will not be quelled, and he lets loose with howls that trumpet the "wildness and joy" found in his heart. Big Wolf is finally won over and joins his son in exuberant--if unconventional--song. The perfectly paced narrative is filled with warmth and humor. Full-bleed illustrations done in gouache portray stunning natural landscapes aglow with crisply rendered details and luminous twilight hues. The animal characters are endearingly depicted yet still retain a touch of realism, adding a sense of the untameable mystery of the wilderness to a sweet story about parent/child affection.

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Kvasnosky's story celebrates all that is fresh and original in the creative spirit of children, and her text will be great fun as a read-aloud, especially after some practice. Kvasnosky and McGee's collaborative illustrations are done in gouache resist with digital colorization, a striking technique that particularly emphasizes the black night and the bright moonlight. All double-page spreads, the illustrations successfully evoke the vast beauty of the country the wolves inhabit. Visually lovely and sure to be a read-aloud hit; put on some Ella Fitzgerald, too.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

From the woodland, meadow, and mountain settings to the appealing depictions of the wolves, the distinctive illustrations were created collaboratively: Kvasnosky contributed the bold, black line drawings and textured effects, while her sister McGee—a landscape artist—added beautiful, soft, dusky colors. Written with economy and wit, this handsome picture book is a natural for reading aloud, and kids will be ready to help when it's time to cut loose and howl.
—Booklist (starred review)

The perfectly paced narrative is filled with warmth and humor...Fun to read—and howl—aloud, this tale of tackling a first experience with originality and élan is ideal for storytime or family sharing.
—School Library Journal (starred review)

Little Wolf wants to make howling his own. In its nod to individuality and originality, this wise book is not just about growing up but also about being yourself.
—San Francisco Chronicle

Laura McGee Kvasnosky and Kate Harvey McGee, captures the solemnity and playfulness of a wonderful father-son relationship. In moonlit illustrations, Big Wolf demonstrates proper howling form, but though his cub makes a sincere effort, he keeps veering into improvisation ('skibbity skobbity skooo-wooooo'). It's so endearing that eventually Big Wolf can't help joining in.
—The Wall Street Journal
Laura McGee Kvasnosky
Laura McGee Kvasnosky (lmkbooks.com) grew up in Northern California. She is the author of the Zelda and Ivy books, one of which won dual Golden Kite Honor Awards in 1999 from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), and the American Library Association's 2007 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award as America's most distinguished book for beginning readers published that year. Along with Kate Harvey McGee, she is also the author of Squeak! and Little Wolf's First Howling, which won the Margaret Wise Brown Honor Book Award for children's literature text. Laura lives in Seattle.

Kate Harvey McGee is a celebrated fine artist who specializes in pastel landscapes. Her work has been exhibited widely in the Pacific Northwest. With Laura McGee Kvasnosky, she is the illustrator of Squeak! and Little Wolf's First Howling. Kate lives in Oregon.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780763689711
Lexile Measure
520
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Candlewick Press (MA)
Publication date
April 11, 2017
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV002250 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Wolves & Coyotes
JUV039090 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | New Experience
JUV013060 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Parents
Library of Congress categories
Father and child
Wolves

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