The Werewolf’s Tale

Gr 1-2–Lowell is new to being a monster and seeks the help of the “Monster Support Group” to aid with his changes. Since he’s becoming a werewolf, his newfound friends offer to try to change him back. In a bit of a detour halfway through the book, Lowell goes on a mission to discover more about the lore of werewolves; Suárez interjects with references to various versions of the lycanthropy myth through history and different cultures, so monster lovers will particularly love these pages. By the end, Lowell finds his cure, but his support group encourages him to be true to himself. Horror is often a great metaphorical device for exploring societal or mental problems, so a children’s series about a group of “monsters” supporting each other is an interesting and promising premise. Images are often large, including full pages and spreads, bridging the gap from an early chapter book to a graphic novel. The monsters are cute and cartoony, so this will be a great recommendation for those looking for something scary who can’t quite handle horror.