Wolfie the Bunny

Not every child views the imposition of a new sibling as an interloper, but a fair number of them do. They’re just tooling along, enjoying the natural bliss that comes with being the one and only star in their parents’ firmament when BLAMMO! A squalling person of inadequate size is there, hogging the attention. Unsurprisingly a low burn (or, in other cases, epic) rivalry erupts. Plenty of children’s books have addressed this issue, to varying degrees of success. It was then with great joy that I read one of the finest the other day. Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman may look, at first glance of the cover, like a lupine variation on that bunny suit worn by Ralphie in A Christmas Story but inside you will instead find a delightful tale of sibling rivalry as well as a cautionary tale of the dangers that come when shopping at a Brooklyn co-op. Issues every child should certainly be made aware of.

If you are a bunny and your parents find that a baby wolf has been left on their stoop, you would be well within your rights to have some qualms. But when Dot’s Mama and Papa first lay eyes on little Wolfie, all tucked tight into his little basket, it’s love at first sight. Not so Dot, who declares with refreshing candor, “HE’S GOING TO EAT US ALL UP!” Her protestations, however, fall on deaf ears. Next thing she knows, Dot has a little, toothy brother. He likes eating carrots for breakfast. He sleeps very well through the night. And he absolutely loves and adores his new big sister to the point where she can’t use the potty or color without Wolfie drooling all over her. Time passes and soon Wolfie’s a great big furry guy eating the family out of house and home. When he and Dot are dispatched to the nearby Carrot Patch Co-Op to pick up some additional grub, she is certain that this will be the moment he makes his predatorial move. However, when the chips are down and Wolfie finds himself in peril, it’s up to his big sister to swoop in and save the day.

In her Author’s Note at the back, Dyckman mentions that much of the inspiration for this book came from her daughter who, as a toddler, would occasionally “transform” into what they called a “Wolf Baby”. Yet in her story it’s Dot who’s the star of the show. For all that the book is called "Wolfie the Bunny”, Dot has the reader’s sympathies from the get go. Then, after you're Team Dot for a while, Dyckman cleverly gives us a glimpse into Wolfie's p.o.v. When Dot and her friends run off after they’ve screamed a customary “HE’S GOING TO EAT US ALL UP” we see baby Wolfie crying for the first time. It’s from that point on that Wolfie attaches himself to Dot like a saliva-producing shadow. To give the book the right sound when reading it aloud, Dyckman also adds a little gentle repetition into the text. Combating Dot’s war cry of Wolfie’s dining predilections are her father’s proud exclamations whenever Wolfie does pretty much anything at all. If Mama says he’s sleeping then Papa will note, “He’s a good sleeper”. If Dot complains about him drooling Papa says, “He’s a good drooler.” And back go your sympathies to Dot. It’s a delicate balance but Dyckman pulls it off.

And yet, for all that, you still might have difficulty seeing Wolfie as anything but a bloodthirsty bunny eater, were it not for the elegant stylings of artist Zachariah OHora. Having already cut his teeth on making 500-pound gorillas adorable (but not cute) in “No Fits, Nilson”, OHora’s thick acrylics are perfect for “Wolfie” here. He’s toothy, no question, but his eyes sport this wide-eyed innocence that’s hard to resist. Truth be told, you fall for him as thoroughly as Mama and Papa when you see him. All this is set against a limited color palette. Aside from mustard yellow, green, red, and pink, there really aren’t a lot of other colors. The thick black paints are abundant, and the colors are seemingly subdued, yet pop when required to do so.

Now generally speaking I have a problem with picture books where animals subsume their natural instincts. Books like Miss Spider's Tea Party where the whole point is not to judge someone, even if they’re a spider that should, by all rights, be eating her guests. So I should probably be upset that Wolfie has somehow gone off his natural wolf instincts. Instead, I’m charmed. This is nature vs. nurture at its finest. Sure he’s drooling on Dot, but anyone who has ever witnessed a kid in the throes of teething will understand what that’s like. On the one hand you could argue that it is cruel to dress a wolf in a bunny suit, no matter how kindly the bunnies or sweet the wolf. On the other hand, this is clearly Wolfie’s choice. You get the distinct impression that the bunny suit might even have been his idea. So what does that say about the choices our children make, even when they don’t gel with society’s expectations? No idea. I just like the image of a wolf in a bunny suit. It's funny.

It is difficult to estimate how many authors and illustrators of children’s literature live in Brooklyn, NY. General wisdom states that the borough contains the highest concentration of folks of that ilk in the country. Certainly every season we see a new crop of books that reference and work in little Brooklyn-based details and elements. The kicker is that the place exerts such a pull that even artists who have moved away can’t help but reference it. Such is the case with Zachariah OHora. As he mentions in his Artist’s Note, though he now lives in Pennsylvania, the setting of his book is his old Park Slope neighborhood. The co-op, his old co-op. And then when you look a little closer you see other Brooklynesque details. Mama and Papa, for example, are so hip it hurts. I mean just check out their collection of vintage cameras (they must have a basement full of Polaroid film). You just know they both are adept on the ukulele, brew their own beer, and go to art house films with the kids every Saturday morning. But I digress.

Who hasn’t looked at their younger brother or sister and thought at one time or another that they bore more in common with animals than people? Wolfie the Bunny isn’t really going to change their minds on that front. Nope. Instead it’s going to just strike them as amazingly funny. With its catchy refrains, stellar pictures, and original storyline, this is one of the more charming picture books out there. A great book. Personal sibling issues not required.

For ages 3-6.

This sweet tale of a big sister and her new brother who seems quite monstrous at first but who turns out to be an OK dude is a hit with everyone in our reading household. My son loves the illustrations and giggles at the sister's cries for sanity around her new brother's true identity, and my husband and I enjoy reading the story out loud. There are some books (I'm looking at you Goodnight Moon) that make me want to run screaming from the room when my son asks for them, but Wolfie the Bunny isn't one of them. The illustrations are completely adorable too.

Family.

Few words can strike such sharp, striking, and varying emotions in people.

It’s bad enough having to deal with a drooling tag-along kid brother or sister invading your space, messing with your stuff, and hogging your parents attention with seemingly no end in sight!

(Which depending on your age, and family dynamic, may be a drawback, or a plus…)

But I’m guessing that on top of all that, you at least didn't have the underlying concern of being EATEN by your tag-along sibling!

That’s where “Wolfie The Bunny” comes in.

No sooner do Mama and Papa bunny discover an abandoned wolf pup at their doorstep, they don’t hesitate to take him in as their own, but Dot’s FAR from convinced this is a good idea, he’s a WOLF for bunny’s sake!

Do her folks not realize what wolves eat!?

Sure, they’ll start out with milk or formula, but it’s only a matter of time before they crave meat.

From chicken soup, to beef stew, lamb chops, and yes, even rabbit in mustard sauce…

But it seems Wolfie’s taken to veggies, especially carrots (of course), which is not the least surprising to his vegetarian mom and dad, but Dot’s certain this diet quirk won’t last long.

Eventually, Wolfie grows from a tiny pup, to becoming the biggest member of the household, which only makes Dot all the more anxious.

It’s hard enough being a big sister, even harder when your kid brother is now WAY BIGGER than you, and could give into his predatory instincts at any time.

But the only thing predatory about Wolfie is ever vigilant “stalking” Dot everywhere she goes.

Not to eat her, but simply to be near his lagomorph sister in that annoyingly clingy, yet sometimes endearing way little kids follow the big kids, even though in Wolfie’s case, he’s the bigger one!

When Dot runs an errand to the grocery store (reluctantly bringing Wolfie along) the inter-species sibling duo encounter one bully of a bear.

It’s at this point the tables turn, and Dot begins to realize that while Wolfie may look big and scary to her on the outside, he’s still a pup on the inside, who needs a big sister like her who despite her size, doesn’t scare easily.

Even when going up against a bear of a bully bigger than both of them.

Those of you with siblings will especially find much humor and solace, whether you were the older sibling whose aptitude for patience runs only so deep, or you were the “baby” of the family who always wanted your older sibling’s cool cred.

Being an only child from a emotionally distant family, I still have tales of cousins who could drive me as crazy as if they were my siblings, only I was the “Wolfie” in those scenarios, but I never had a sister like Dot looking out for me, so he’s got an edge I didn’t have growing up.

Author Ame Dyckman uses spare text and punchy vocabulary that flows with the illustrations, creating that “magic of words and pictures” all picture books strive for.

Zachariah O’Hora’s illustrations have this ability to look modern and classic at the same time, yet have this edge to them which I’d describe as “Punk Lucy Cousins” with some splashes of Dick Bruna’s simple use of shapes, with a ’60s retro color palate that give this book a style all its own.

A stark contrast from the hipper, slightly ’40s inspired look in his solo outing “No fits, Nelson!”

Those who parrot the common saying, “Times change, people don’t” be thankful you’re not near me when you say that…

Just like with many things in life, families HAVE CHANGED, and evolved, from the hyper-idealized two parents, 2.5 kids and maybe a pet or two.

I’m certainly not criticizing if you have such a family, of course, but families today can and do come in so many forms, and while we often “glorify” the deadbeat/dysfunctional families that have become media icons, we could stand to see more realistic and HAPPIER families in fiction.

Despite the old adage that happy families don’t make for good stories, take the “Swiss Family Robinson” for instance.

They had a heralding adventure of survival, but they were FAR from the broken families the evening news seems to obsess themselves, and not always for the obvious reasons…

I think with so many kids and teens growing up in less than ideal family dynamics, they need to see more positive portrayals of what they may not get in their own life, while still containing the conflict and stakes good books need.

While lack of non-stereotypical portrayals of ethnicity in children’s books sparked the #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement in Spring 2014, what I feel gets lost in that important (and sadly needed) initiative is that diversity isn’t just about race.

It’s also about showing varied portrayals of gender roles and families today, whatever their racial identity, life orientation, or species, given our primary focus on T.A.A.
“Wolfie the Bunny” is one of the books.

Reversion of Original Review at TalkingAnimalAddicts.com

Very sweet & funny picture story about new sibling love - made me laugh out loud as I read it to my child. Love love love the artwork too. Great baby shower present or a gift for a child with a new sibling. My older kids (10+) love reading this to our toddler- it a wonderful read aloud book.

The story begins with a rabbit family finding a newborn wolf on their doorstep, and the parents instantl y falling for him, much to the consternation of the daughter bunny Dot. Dot seems immune to baby Wolfie's charms & is able to see him as the literal and figurative wolf-in-rabbit's-clothing. The book plays out Dot and Wolfie's relationship in a very relatable and charming way.

I bought this for my 3-year-old daughter, as it had been recommended for kids with new baby siblings in one of the parents' magazines to which I subscribe. My daughter LOVES this book, and I love reading it to her, especially the part where I get to grab her toes in attempt to nibble on them! So much fun, and a great book considering that she now has a baby brother of her own! Great, great book! Can't say enough good things about it; so glad I purchased it.

This book is so cute! Great message, cute art, and fun to read. I like to buy this book and a wolf plush to give to little kids when a new baby joins their family. Highly recommended!

I would recommend purchasing this book for the illustrations alone. Every page is filled with bright and vibrant art. It's very visually stimulating and entertaining.

My only "issue" with this book is that it lacks in the story department. My oldest is a toddler, so it doesn't take much of a story to keep him entertained, but overall, this isn't one of our favorites. He loves looking at the pictures and asks me to "wait" before I turn the page so he can further examine everything going on, but he doesn't pay as much attention to this story or request it as often as he does others.

Even still, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book for the 2-4 age set. I wouldn't say it is a great sibling book - there are better ones to use to introduce baby siblings - but it's definitely a good conversation piece on the topic.

I would recommend purchasing this book for the illustrations alone. Every page is filled with bright and vibrant art. It's very visually stimulating and entertaining.

My only "issue" with this book is that it lacks in the story department. My oldest is a toddler, so it doesn't take much of a story to keep him entertained, but overall, this isn't one of our favorites. He loves looking at the pictures and asks me to "wait" before I turn the page so he can further examine everything going on, but he doesn't pay as much attention to this story or request it as often as he does others.

Even still, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book for the 2-4 age set. I wouldn't say it is a great sibling book - there are better ones to use to introduce baby siblings - but it's definitely a good conversation piece on the topic.

When a baby Wolfie lands on Dot the rabbit's family doorstop, Dot is worried the wolf will grow big and eat the family. One day Dot is sure Wolfie is going to eat her when they go to the Carrot Co-op together, but Dot has the opportunity to save Wolfie's life and they become close siblings ever after. The illustrations are adorable in this book. If your little one would be worried about a wolf eating a rabbit, this might be too scary for them, but most mature kindergarten students and on up will find it amusing.

I read to my grandchildren. They love this book and always want me to read it to them. It was recommended by my daughter to me.