The Quite Nice Wolf doesn’t fit in with the local wolf pack. He commences training to become a proper wolf – one that’s BIG and BAD. Can he help the wolf pack with their master plan? For ages 3 – 6 years.
Review by Amy Wakley-Ahearn
I don’t know about you, but my kids have had mountains of children’s books in their time and plenty of them were less-than-memorable, designed to encourage word recognition or colours rather than to subtly encourage them to think about the world they’re living in.
Books like that have their place, sure, but I’d much rather read them books that encourage them to think outside the square, that will make them giggle and cement the idea that they are free to be themselves.
Who’s Afraid of the Quite Nice Wolf? does just that, introducing kids to the concept of stereotypes. Why should a wolf, who is actually Quite Nice, try to change to become Big and Bad? Everyone expects him to, that’s why!
But when you are actually Quite Nice, it’s not easy to become Big and Bad. You might feel that you’re expected to act and think a certain way, but when you actually start acting that way, it doesn’t feel right. Do you keep plugging away at it, feeling uncomfortable all the way? Or do you decide to just be who you are, expectations be damned?
This is a story for everyone. For kids who feel they’re a little bit different in some way, it’s a gentle, age-appropriate exploration of why it’s important to accept and be themselves. For other kids who don’t necessarily struggle with feeling like they fit in, it’s a timely and gentle reminder to be kind, supportive and accepting of all of their peers.
I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t benefit from simple acceptance being the new default setting in a society that has spent far too long trying to force people into particular roles and categories.
What I love about this book is that it tells kids that it’s okay to be a square peg that looks at the round hole and says “no, thanks!”
It’s a fun read, with giggles for grown ups as well as kids, that follows our Wolf as he learns that not only is it okay to let go of what others might expect from us, it’s positively joyful.
Grab a copy from your favourite bookstore or online at:
Booktopia | Book Depository | Dymocks | New Frontier Publishing
Disclosure: A copy of this book was received from the publisher for the purpose of review. This post contains affiliate links.
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