Lots of fun seeing things from a dog's perspective. Love the fact pages interspersed throughout the book.

Though the author's artwork is topnotch, I found the story to be rather . . . blah.

Poor Thunder, who's honestly content to do regular old dog things, is constantly being tempted to be wilder by an imaginary wolf. This gets her in trouble with her human, Sage. That's the gist of things, and every chapter is nearly the same. I was kind of bored.

The reading level seems closer to middle-grade, though the story itself is slanted to younger readers. Perhaps the kids will find this one to be less predictable than I did.

I read this book with my 9-year-old son to receive some true youthful feedback. He loves graphic novels, and this one was right up his alley. He sat down and read it all in one sitting, then talked my ear off about the storyline.

Thunder the dog gets in touch with his “inner wolf”, but then gets in trouble playing inside the house and runs away from home, much to her human Sage’s dismay. Sage sets out on an adventure to find her best doggy friend.

The “wagometer” appears through the book, ranking Thunder’s feelings from No Wags to ALL THE WAGS. It’s easy to read along and feel your wagometer grow stronger as you hope the best for Thunder and Sage.

The author’s illustrations were just as appealing as the storyline, and as an adult, I enjoyed the extra “inFURmation” about the history of wolf and dog evolution. Dog lovers and kids should check out this book!

This was a cute book about a dog learning about his inner wolf. My almost 11 year old saw me download it and read it before I could get a chance. As an obsessed dog lover, she enjoyed it even more than I did! I enjoyed how it included real facts about dogs for kids to learn while enjoying the fiction.

Absolutely adorable graphical novel. Both little girl and dog were well developed characters. And it was educational as well teaching us about the origin of dogs from wolves. Giving this to my daughter!

I read this with my son. He enjoyed this story a lot. I feel like character was easy for a child to connect with, and the illustrations are great.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely adored this graphic novel and can't wait to share it with kids! It's the charming story of a girl Sage and her pup Thunder. They have an amazing relationship until an imaginary wolf starts trying to convince Thunder to be more wolflike (destroying things, howling, running away). Thunder isn't so sure that he wants to be wolfy because he is happy being a dog in Sage's family. There are great themes in this book, and it was fun to read as an adult, too! I loved the ways in which the author shared more about how dogs have evolved into wolves through an engaging story! I highly recommend this one!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6586500026


This will be on my blog the week before it releases: https://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=27969

What a delightful story! Sage and Thunder are their own pack, and it shows, even when the wolf shows up to teach Thunder a thing or two. It's great to see the range of emotions as they deal with issues - just like any home with a dog in it! The art was adorable and fit the story well. Not only does the reader get a great story, but there's something to learn about dogs and how they're related to wolves. This is a great graphic novel for dog lovers and younger readers.

My daughter would love this book. Love that it is a graphic novel easy to read and follow. The story about her dog trying not to get in trouble is cute. Nice message. Planning on getting this book for my daughter.

Huge thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book 😊
"Wagnificent" by Bethanie Deeney Murguia was one of my favorite middle grade graphic novels I read this month!! 🐶 I really enjoyed the characters and story and am REALLY looking forward to reading the other books in this adorable series 💗

I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS GRAPHIC NOVEL! (Sorry, not sorry for shouting it at you!). I actually learned something about dogs from this graphic novel and I am here for it! Did you know that the reason dogs circle before laying down is because they are checking their sleeping area for dangers (like snakes) before setting down to sleep? Oh, you did know that? Well, did you know that domesticated dogs have muscles in their foreheads that were an evolutionary adaptation as they were domesticated? Wolves do not have muscles in their foreheads. Super interesting, right? If you want to know more interesting facts about your canine friends, you need this graphic novel!

What I loved most:
The obvious bond between Sage and Thunder
Thunder's efforts to be good despite natural instincts
Natural instincts manifested as an inner wolf
The awesome facts at the end

Super cute story and even cuter artwork. I think it will be perfect for any dog lover. I'll definitely be recommending this to kids at our library this summer.

I received an electronic ARC from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group through NetGalley.
Readers meet Thunder as he narrates his story with his "no tail" Sage. Thunder obviously loves his pack but sometimes needs to be a little wilder than preferred. Sage is obsessed with finding a magical creature and isn't always sensitive to Thunder's needs. This leads to an invisible wolf appearing to lure Thunder to his ancient wild life. The author slips in facts about dogs' history as the story unfolds. When Thunder runs away after being punished with a time out, he and the wolf head for the woods. Sage follows and Thunder has to protect her. Readers learn that dogs have to balance all parts of themselves just as humans do. I appreciate the informative text included at the end of the book. This is listed as book one so looking forward to more adventures with Thunder and Sage.

A fantastic graphic novel for the dog-lovers in your life. With it's heartwarming story and loveable dog, it's suitable for all ages!

This is a cute story that takes place from the dog's point of view. His master puts him into clothing which makes him feel trapped which makes him start talking to a wolf who teaches him how to be a wolf which gets him into a lot of trouble. In the end the dog finds that he is fine just being a dog and that he would do anything for his little girl who is a part of his pack.

Entertaining graphic novel with a dog's perspective. Dog is torn between his inner wolf and his love for his pack/girl. Finds the perfect balance and embraces being a dog!

This book was adorably and so much fun to read! The dog’s thought bubbles and sounds were so silly and charming. My 6 year old loved reading Wagnificent with me.

Right from the very beginning of this graphic novel, we see that Thunder is quite the energetic pup. She loves food, "treasures" (toys), treats and her owner Sage. Sage becomes preoccupied with a phone call one day where she is trying to get another magical robe from a company to aid in hunting down a unicorn. This lack of attention makes Thunder uncomfortable. Her inner wolf emerges as a gray wolf only she can see. He talks to Sage, influencing her that she should find her inner wildness and rip the robe up. Sage is heartbroken, and Thunder feels bad. And the company is out of magical robes. Then that inner gray wolf shows Thunder how to do many things that humans tend not to like; barking, chasing squirrels, and digging past a fence to run in the wild. This behavior irritates Sage until her dog goes missing. Sage goes alone into the nearby woods to look for her. Real wolves corner Sage, and of course da da da…Thunder comes to the rescue. Thunder learns that it's important to stifle her inner wolf and be an obedient dog.

I really like both Thunder and Sage, especially Thunder’s Wagometer and Sage’s living names for her pet like Thunderpants. 

Good story for young readers who like unicorns and dogs, but not a strong contender. I didn’t like Sage going off to find her dog without telling an adult. But there were no adults in the story.
A good graphic novel for young readers who like unicorns and dogs.

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

Thunder, an exuberant young dog, knows that Sage is her pack. There's plenty of food, "treasures" (toys), and love in their household, and Thunder is usually obedient, since she loves to hang out with Sage. When Sage puts her in a wizard's robe and then gets distracted by making a phone call to get another "magical" robe which will be useful in hunting magical creatures like unicorns, Thunder is uncomfortable. Her inner wolf, in the guise of a gray wolf who talks to her, convinces her that she should embrace her innate wildness and rip the robe up. Sage is heartbroken, and Thunder feels bad. This "inner wolf" shows Thunder how to do any number of things that humans tend not to like; barking, chasing squirrels, and digging past a fence to run in the wild. While Sage is irritated by Thunder's behavior, when the dog is missing, Sage takes off into a nearby woods to look for her. Real wolves corner Sage, and of course Thunder comes to the rescue. Thunder learns that it's important to quiet her inner wolf to exist with her pack, and Sage realizes "you're my magical creature".
Strengths: There are not that many realistic graphic novels that cover dogs, and Thunder was a great character. I enjoyed the information at the end about how dogs coevolved with humans, and the fact that the work of the great canine scientist Alexandra Horowitz is cited. Young dogs need a lot of training, and this could help children understand why they need to connect with their dogs, take them on walks, and introduce them to the rules of the pack. The use of Thunder's "inner wolf" is clever, and seeing the wolf talking to Thunder is amusing, but also makes the reasons for Thunder's behavior very clear.
Weaknesses: This will be most successful for elementary school readers; Sage's interest in the magical robe and finding magical creatures will not resonate with 6th graders, who no longer believe as much in that sort of magic. This would be great in second or third grade, and for older elementary students who still like to role play Hunter's Warriors storylines.
What I really think: This is a good choice for younger readers who enjoyed Lai's Pawcasso or
Fairbairn and Assarasakorn's Paws books, or Ball's Clifford the Big Red Dog: The Movie (Graphic Novel)