Wolf! Wolf!

Author/Illustrator: John Rocco

This is a charming and sumptuously illustrated retelling of the Boy Who Cried Wolf story. (I usually don't like to use "sumptuous" as an adjective, but in this case, I couldn't help myself. If I got to choose one artist to re-illustrate the inside of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, it would be Rocco. He could make a mud covered rock look delicious.) As in The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, the world gets to hear the wolf's side of the story and the misunderstood wolf continues his radical public relations makeover. This time, the wolf has entered into the twilight of his life and has become a wise Zen-like gardener who teaches the annoying little boy a valuable life lesson. At last, the wolf community is able to test its acting chops instead of being perpetually typecast as the evil toothy villian from the woods (that role is now being adequately filled by the dynamic duo of Christopher Walken and Steve Buscemi).

While the wolf in children's literature is enjoying a modern day renaissance, wolves as a group still struggle to cultivate a lasting positive image. It doesn't help that the highest ranking wolf in government, Paul Wolfowitz, is doing his best to sully their good name. Wolfowitz has once again found himself in hot water when it was revealed that he played an inappropriate role in getting his girlfriend a raise of over $60,000. (Dude, couldn't you just get her some flowers?) This revelation is doing terrible things to the wolf community's public image--you know you've gone too far when you've offended the World Bank's code of ethics. Add to that Wolf Blitzer and the ridiculously sensationalistic Situation Room (CNN's ode to Entertainment Tonight), and you can see why the wolf community is furious with its human counterparts.

Note: Look for another twist on the boy who cried wolf story in the upcoming book: The Wolf Who Cried AHHHHHHH!!!: Wolf Blitzer and the Rise of the Alarmist Media.