Title: Wolf!

Author: Becky Bloom

Illustrator: Pascal Biet

Published: March 1, 1999 by Orchard Books, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: Preschool – 3 years

Themes/Topics:  Farm animals, humor, reading, literacy, determination, perseverance

Opening:

As he peered over the farm fence, he saw a pig, a duck, and a cow reading in the sun. The wolf had never seen animals read before. “I’m so hungry that my eyes are playing tricks on me,” he said to himself. But he really was very hungry and didn’t stop to think about it for long. The wolf stood up tall, took a deep breath…

Brief Synopsis: A howling, hilarious adventure about a ravenous wolf who stumbles upon a farm where the animals are educated, and they sit around all day reading books. Perplexed by what he sees, the wolf forgets about his rumbling tummy and investigates this unusual phenomenon. Determined to be one of the educated, the wolf sets on a quest to learn how to read. As it turns out, he not only learns to read but becomes quite a storyteller as well. A wolf after my own heart – AWE!

 Why I Like This Book: I don’t just like this book, I LOVE it! An oldie but goodie for sure, this book has far-reaching utility. The suitable age listed by the publisher is up to 3 years, however, throughout my teaching career, I’ve utilized the contents of the pages in this book for not only enjoyment and a good belly laugh but for its instructional content all the way up through middle school. Primary students would love the theme of friendship and acceptance as well as the colorful illustrations and language. Secondary students would benefit from the expansive vocabulary usage, guided imagery, and character development.

Extensions for the book: 

Primary	Upper Elementary/Secondary
Read Aloud.	Story Impressions
Guided Imagery	Writing Predictions
Guided Writing	Compare & Contrast
Sentence Type & Structure Sort	Tier II Vocabulary Words
Characterization Chart	Word Categorization & Textual Evidence
Similarities & Differences	Personification
Reader’s Theater	Vocabulary Word Maps
Gist List	Author’s Purpose

It Must Be Friday! ♥

 I am fortunate enough to be part of a fabulous group of bloggers who enjoy reviewing picture books.  Accompanying each review are extensions – resources and/or activities. Interested in seeing more: To view a complete list of the plethora of books that have already been reviewed, click here on Susanna Leonard Hill’s FABULOUS website!