The Wolf Who Fell Out of a Book

Finding where you belong isn’t easy . . . especially when you’re a storybook wolf.

In this illustrated fractured fairy tale for kids, a book falls to the floor and a wolf tumbles out. The wolf needs to get back to his story, but a hungry cat has other ideas. Jumping from book to book, this wolf is on a journey to find a new home (and to avoid becoming dinner). His sharp, pointy teeth don’t help him fit in with the dinosaurs, and his shiny black fur doesn’t get him into the ball. But a little girl in a red hood is waiting for someone just like him to arrive.

For children and adults who enjoy playful twists on a classic story, The Wolf Who Fell Out of a Book’s colorful illustrations and a “story-starter” ending are sure to keep your imagination turning even after the book is returned to its shelf.

Thierry Robberecht is a children’s author, graphic novel scriptwriter, and songwriter. He lives in Brussels, where he devotes himself to a passion for literature.

Grégoire Mabire studied illustration at the Saint Luc Institute in Brussels. He illustrates children’s picture books and contributes to children’s magazines.

This is a translated work:

Le loup tombé du livre

© 2015 Mijade Publications (B-5000 Namur – Belgium)

Grégoire Mabire for the illustrations

Thierry Robberecht for the text

PreS-Gr 2—A book falls to the ground from a little girl's overstuffed bookcase, and out pops a wolf. Big and bad in his own book, he is now alone and scared. The object of his fear is a large orange cat who makes it clear that the wolf should be afraid…very afraid. Quickly squirming back into his own book, the wolf is kicked out for showing up too early in the story. As the cat comes closer, the wolf scales the shelves, looking for a book to conceal him. Squeezing into a princess tale, he is chastised for his inappropriate ballroom attire and told to leave. His next choice proves problematic as well. With the cat looming, the panicked wolf scrambles into a nearby book. Finding himself in a forest, the wolf comes upon a little girl dressed in red from head to toe. Determining that they can be of help to each other, the two stroll off happily, headed for Grandma's house. Large, bright full-color illustrations are humorous, drawn from different perspectives, and add details to the text. Readers will love the fractured fairy-tale aspect of the narrative and the familiarity of the ending, which also doubles as a new beginning. VERDICT This is a great choice for storytimes and suitable for compare/contrast and prediction activities for older readers.—Sara-Jo Lupo Sites, George F. Johnson Memorial Library, Endicott, NY