Wolf! Wolf! [Hardcover]

John Rocco (Author, Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3—This twisted treatment of Aesop's fable flips everything readers know about the boy who cried wolf on its head and ends up where they never would have expected. From the brushstrokes of the hand-lettered title to the pink cherry blossoms featured with the wolf and the boy on the cover, ancient China unfolds as the stage and setting for this story. In this variant, children get a little insight into the wolf's point of view: When the boy cries "WOLF! WOLF!" the slightly deaf animal believes he is being summoned. He feels tricked by the youngster when the angry villagers arrive looking for a menacing creature. The poor animal is only looking for a tasty meal, possibly one of the boy's goats since his garden has fallen into disarray. In the end, the boy gives the old wolf a goat; instead of making him a one-time-only meal, the wolf puts him to work in his garden, and the two become friends. The wolf is a fully anthropomorphized character, complete with red silk jacket and shade umbrella. The purposeful use of frames, unusual setting, and visual humor makes this an excellent addition to any collection and a particularly interesting launching point for many discussions and investigations into fractured tales.—Genevieve Gallagher, Murray Elementary School, Charlottesville, VA
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About the Author

John Rocco studied illustration at Rhode Island School of Design and The School of Visual Arts. He has illustrated one book for children,Alice,by Whoopi Goldberg. He worked for several years as an art director in Los Angeles. He was the winner of the SCBWI New York Showcase in 2004. He now lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (February 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423100123
• ISBN-13: 978-1423100126
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #258,805 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I love books. The fact that I get to make books for a living still thrills me everyday. I write and illustrate picture books for children as well as illustrate books for older readers.
I didn't always make books. Before embarking on full time work as an author/illustrator I worked as an art director in the entertainment business. Movies, television, theme parks and museums were my canvas. It was great work and I enjoyed every minute of it, but...
Did I tell you I love books?

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and funny!, March 1, 2007

By 

Morgan Yam (Malibu, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wolf! Wolf! (Hardcover)

A brilliant updating of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" with a hip message. John Rocco's illustrations are masterful, every page a work of art. What every children's picture book should be -- thoughtful, expressive, pointed and a feast for the eyes.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Same moral but with an Asian & Vegetarian twist, March 7, 2007

By 

KSL "emma-and-me" (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wolf! Wolf! (Hardcover)

Again another story that has been retold and surprisingly done possibly even better than the orignal and with an Asian background! To me, this story is set in China.

The story begins with the wolf who has gotten older, you see he's not as spry as he use to be and now he's taken up gardening. When you plant vegetables, flower or both and somehow lots of weeds also grow! Weeds, weeds, weeds, too many weed among garden where the thoughts going through the wolfs head when he heard, Wolf, Wolf!

Off the wolf slowly ambles in the direction of the sound thinking.... I wonder who this wolf is, only to find a young boy sitting on a rock among his grazing sheep as the villagers run up to help the boy who cried Wolf, Wolf. From here you know the next part of the story, but the ending is really cute and has a very nice and unexpected twist!

I hope you enjoy the tale, moral and the beautiful illustrations as much as I do every time I pick up this book!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun twist at the end!, August 21, 2009

By 

J. Grambo "Teacher" (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wolf! Wolf! (Hardcover)

Not just another "Boy Who Cried Wolf" story. This one has an aged wolf, barely able to hobble around, who has to plant a garden to have something to eat. When a shepherd boy cries "Wolf!" just to get attention once too often, the elderly wolf decides to work out a deal with him.

John Rocco's rich watercolors place the whole story in China (the wolf wears a red kimono and carries a pleated paper umbrella!), which adds delightful visual appeal to this picture book for ages 4-8.