Member Reviews
I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
Sophy is shy and does not fit in with her peers. After she dreams of meeting a wolf and her cub and standing up to a bear, she feels brave and makes a friend who also likes animals.
The illustrations for the book were nice, but the text did not live up to them. The story portion felt a bit plain and boring.
If you are looking for a book about self-acceptance and bravery, this would be a good one to read.
Thank you to netgalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Sophy is a little shy girl. She struggles to fit in the outside world and likes staying at home to play in her wolf costume. She dreams to be brave, strong and fierce just like a wolf. When she decides to wear the costume to school everybody starts making fun of her but she wasn't able to defend herself. How will Sophy find her voice and the courage she's been looking for all along?
This book is an adorable, conversation-promoting story. Lovely illustrations, great messaging about what it means to be brave and how to be fearless. This wonderful book would make a terrific gift for readers of all ages, and belongs on every library's shelves.
This is a great book about bravery, compassion and friendship. Sophy is a sky little girl who wants friends, but when she tries she can’t say the words. She goes to school in a wolf costume thinking that will make her brave. It does not and she gets hurt feelings. The story goes on to tell how she dreams about a wolf, her cub and a bear. This is a heartwarming story for adults as well as children. Would be a good story hour book or bedtime story. Illustrations are rustic but very appealing.
This is a cute little book about making friends and being brave enough to engage with others inorder to make friends with them.
This is a cute book that reminded me a lot of the Jungle Book. The illustrations were unique and beautifully done, and the storyline was even better.
The author's stunning illustrations are the highlight of this tale of a lonely girl who draws inspiration, and bravery from the wolves. A lovely and inspiring story about being yourself and finding your place in the world.
3.5 stars
The illustrations were lovely, as well as the overall message of bravery and friendship. However the text itself was a bit lacking in my opinion. It just wasn't as magical as you would expect from such a book.
I would recommend this book for children who have just started school.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the electronic review copy of this wonderful book. This is a great story about bravery that is nice to share with young readers who lack in confidence. Lovely illustrations add emotion to the story. Great as a read-aloud and discussions about emotions and feelings.
In an empowering tale for the quiet and shy ones, this book is a celebration of those of us who struggle to find our inner wolf.
Sophy is very shy girl which makes it hard to fit in at school. She would rather be at home, playing by herself in her wolf costume. When she wears the wolf suit it makes her feel like she is a wolf, strong and brave and fierce. She reminds me a lot of Max from Where The Wild Things Are. The suit is like her armor and she feels more confident when wearing it. The trouble starts when she wears the wolf suit to school and everyone laughs at her and makes fun of her for wearing it. Sophy retreats even further into her own imaginary world, when she finds herself in a magical land and befriends a wolf who lives there. Sophy and the wolf play and run and howl and Sophy feels more free than ever before. Until things take a turn for the worse and a bear arrives to ruin the fun.
This book is illustrated with enchanting watercolor pictures that evoke the magic of the text. It teaches a valuable lesson about self-isolation, accepting the quirks and differences in others, finding friends but also find your voice. This story was both entertaining and educational, which can be a tricky balance to maintain in a children’s book, and I will be suggesting it to teachers whenever possible. Incorporating topics such as this into children's picture books is a tried and true way to teach important life skills in a way that is fun. This would be an amazing addition for classrooms, libraries, counselling offices and more.
Wolf Girl is a sweet, beautiful children’s book about how a girl who’s colorful imagination helps give her the strength to make new friends. The artwork is very original and beautiful. I’d definitely buy this for a child in my life.
A beautifully illustrated story about a young girl struggling emotionally. Sparked a great discussion about feeling excluded and different as well as positive character attributes.
I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
Wolf Girl is a beautiful illustrated story for children with a lovely meaning. Sophie is a very shy girl who feels isolated and alone from her peers because she's shy. She gets mocked and laughed at for her timidness. This book highlights worries, fears and anxieties some children have and helps them to see that their feelings are valid and that they are not alone in how they feel. Sophie really comes out of herself when she plays with the little wolf cub and finds friendship in them too. I loved the illustrations in this book! And it makes a great book to spark discussions with children about inclusion, kindness, compassion and being different.
This book concerns me a bit. While it appears our leading child only dreams the encounter they have with a wolf; the reality is that a child reading this (or having it read to them) may not realize that. Therefore it sets up a possible dangerous situation. Certainly no one believes it would be okay for a child to encounter a wolf in the wild and approach it. Yet, in Wolf Girl we see our leading kiddo talking to a wolf about bravery.
I’m sorry but I just can’t condone this. What if the child lives in an area, like mine, where wolves are actually wandering not too far outside the city limits? Would a child possibly make the mistake that a wolf is friendly?
I have the same issue when children’s books have encounters with bears, cougars, and other wildlife that they might genuinely encounter in real life.
So while the book is cute, and the bravery message is commendable; I just can’t give it a high rating as you never know what a five year old might decide is okay in a crazy, but not unprecedented situation.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
3.5 ~ 3★
“The city was as gloomy and gray as she felt… ”
Young Sophy is a sad, lonely little girl, but she’s found a way to feel happy and safe.
My Goodreads review has an illustration with the caption:
“But inside was her ‘DEN’. She always felt happiest there.”
Are there any children who have never created little hiding places? So often they are as obvious as Sophy’s blanket strung across a couple of chairs. She goes one step further, though. She has a furry wolf suit that she puts on.
My Goodreads review has an illustration with the caption:
“Sophy loved her wolf costume so much that she wished she could wear it to school.”
In it, she felt fierce and brave. She tried approaching some of the other children, to make friends, but they laughed at her. So she ran home and curled up in her little den and cried. There is a light glowing through a beautiful lampshade that has wolves in a wintry forest pictured on it.
My Goodreads review has an illustration with the caption:
“Sophy felt an icy breeze…”
SURPRISE!
My Goodreads review has an illustration with the caption:
“She had been joined by a wolf and her pup!”
We see her running around, playing happily with her new friends in the woods she knows from her books. Then, as the weather closes in, they find a warm cave. But they aren’t the only ones looking for a cave. An enormous bear walks in, and Sophy decides to be brave. She shouts at the bear. “LEAVE US ALONE, BEAR!”
I have to say, the bear doesn’t look threatening. It looks kind of sad and worried and is holding up a very tentative paw, as if to shake hands. It leaves and curls up just outside, alone in the snow.
Sophy feels bad and goes outside to hug the bear and invite it back in because “sometimes being KIND was the BRAVEST thing of all.”
My Goodreads review has an illustration with the caption:
Sophy, asleep with the wolves and the bear, feeling happy.
She wakes up . . . in her little den between the chairs at home. When she goes to school, she remembers how nice it was to feel brave, and she joins in some of games.
My Goodreads review has an illustration with the caption:
Sophy, playing with children at school
But she notices a little boy who always sits alone.
My Goodreads review has an illustration with the caption:
“Later on, Sophy spotted an ‘OWLISH LITTLE BOY’
We see them together in costumes at the end.
My Goodreads review has an illustration with no caption.
The illustrations are just lovely. The story means well but could be more inspirational. The costumes are appealing, and on one hand, this may be saying it’s fine to pretend and make-believe, but on the other, it may be trying to say to be confident and come out of your shell and make friends.
It’s such a pretty book to look at, I would recommend that whoever reads it to children makes a point of initiating some conversations about how to be happy whether alone or playing with friends, and how to help others feel they belong, too. I think it needs more than the pictures (but they are great!)
Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto’s Frances Lincoln Children’s Books for the copy for review.
This picture book is perfection!
The message is one of tolerance, friendship and hope. It is conveyed with much kindness and gentleness. The illustrations and coloring are stunning. A must read and re-read.
(Read thanks to NetGalley)
A lonely girl who dreams of being her favorite animal, the wolf. She thought that disguising in one will get her new friends, but alas, no. Then she dreamed of the wolf and its qualities. This is an interesting book, quite a quick read for kids, and empowering too. For those who seek their place in the community, this is for you.
A girl loves being a wolf. She plays in her city den and wears her wolf clothing but is not very brave when she goes to school. She finds herself lonely but goes on an adventure and makes a new friend and learns how to be brave. I like the message within this book and I love the artwork it’s got this soft nostalgic feeling that people really enjoy. Overall this was a lovely read both in ideas and execution.
*received for free from netgalley for honest review* really liked the artwork of this book. Story itself was not as great as the artwork but still pretty good.
At first I didn't particularly like the sketchy illustrations, but once the setting moves to a snowy woods, they fit better. The story of a child drawing courage for imaginary friends is useful and fun, even if the quick resolution is a bit unrealistic.
Beautiful picture book that adults will love. So many layers to the story. Finding one's voice, wearing masks, being true to one's soul, strong girl themes, adjusting to society without losing oneself, putting oneself in another person's shoes, friendship, inclusion, and kindness. At the same time the story is simple enough to be understood by 3 to 6 year olds. And helpful to children struggling to find their place in a crowd.