There Are No Scary Wolves [Hardcover]

Hyewon Yum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 12, 2010 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

What exactly is it like outside when Mom isn’t around? Are there . . . scary wolves? When a little boy ventures out of the house with his mother, he’s in for the fright—and the adventure—of his life! Reality and make-believe collide in this new picture book by acclaimed author and illustrator Hyewon Yum, with results that are fantastically adorable, disarmingly funny, and utterly unique.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1–A young boy wants to go outside, but as he waits for his mother to find her keys, he begins to imagine that there are scary wolves outdoors instead of people. By the time Mom is ready to go, the little guy tells her that he has changed his mind. She reassures him and the boy–clad in his favorite sweater, boots, and cape–decides he is ready. He is relieved to find that there are no scary wolves at the noodle shop or at the toy store. The boy's red cape provides a punch of color amid the muted tones of the collage illustrations. Images are comprised of pencil drawings, photographs, and graphics, resulting in a contemporary treatment with nostalgic style. Details such as the expressive family cat add humor, and the boy's triumph over his fears will appeal to readers. Children will enjoy the final surprise: wolves the boy overlooked in the coffee shop.Lisa Glasscock, Columbine Public Library, Littleton, CO
© Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

Sick of waiting and waiting for Mom to find her keys, a little boy imagines venturing out alone in his city neighborhood, in which he envisions that everyone is a wolf. He is afraid of the gigantic scary wolf at the Chinese restaurant, as well as the heavily bearded wolf with sharp nails in the toy store: “Scary wolves are everywhere.” When Mom is finally ready, he walks out with her, feeling safe at last. Later, though, his imagination kicks in again. Looking out the window, the boy sees wolves delivering mail, riding bikes, and walking in high heels. Always true to a young childs viewpoint, the unframed collages show nightmarish distortions just on the edge of realism, and the frightening scenes are not only outside; sometimes Mom can look scary, as when she carries laundry piled so high it covers her face. Even the boy himself can look monstrous! Balancing elemental terrors with reassuring scenes of safety, this inventive title has fun with everyday fears in ordinary places. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Hazel Rochman

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); First Edition edition (October 12, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374380600
• ISBN-13: 978-0374380601
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,688,985 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars charming illustrations, December 18, 2010

By 

Kirsten G. Cutler (Santa Rosa, California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: There Are No Scary Wolves (Hardcover)

A young boy is anxious to go outside but his mother tells him that he can go out later when she can go with him because otherwise it is too dangerous. The mother is busy doing house chores so the little boy replies, "No, I'm a big boy! I'm not even afraid of scary wolves." When they finally get ready to go out first to a Chinese restaurant, and then to a toy store, the mother cannot find her keys. While she is searching, the little boy imagines going out alone; and everywhere he goes he meets up with scary wolves: the cook in the Chinese restaurant is a wolf and the owner of the toy store is a wolf. By the time, his mother finds her keys; the little boy has scared himself into not wanting to go out at all. His mother reassures him that he is a big boy, and she will be with him so he does not need to be scared, and of course, the scary wolves are gone when they go out together; or are they. The illustrations of wolf faces are mildly scary but charming nevertheless. The little boy is dressed in a red cape, and his imaginative adventure is clearly expressed as he visits the kitchen of the Chinese Restaurant: the cooks are wolves, and goes by the toy store: the clerk is a wolf.