PICTURE BOOKS
Shum, Benson

First Night of Howlergarten

(2) K-3 First-day-of-school anxiety and the fear of not fitting in take a hair-raising twist when aspiring werewolf Sophie begins howlergarten. Sophie wants "to be part of a pack" but worries she'll never grow fangs or a bushy tail like her werewolf parents. As she struggles through "furry fun were-activities," humorously depicted in Shum's comic-style illustrations, Sophie discovers that being in a wolf pack runs deeper than fur. While Sophie's desire for community will resonate with all readers, Shum uses the werewolf theme to subtly subvert ideas of which identities and social behaviors equal acceptance, imagining a world where everybody has a pack.

RELATED 

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?