Wolfred (Nick Bland, Hardie Grant Egmont)
Toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy the engaging rhymes, quirky illustration and straightforward messaging of this new tale from popular picture book author Nick Bland. When aspiring writer Wolfred McFlea is hired to operate the elevator at Fancy Pants Towers his mean-spirited boss, Mister Pig, gives him clear instructions: ‘You don’t say hello/don’t put on a show/just push!/Or you’ll find yourself FIRED.’ Wolfred obliges, at the end of each silent shift returning to his literary passion to write down everything he has seen. Unfortunately one of these stories (all quite ingeniously delivered to the reader as paper planes) finds its way to Mister Pig and the wolf is fired. A sneaky kidnap attempt gives Wolfred the opportunity to prove his worth, and children will feel satisfied with the just reward that awaits him. Bland’s art is vibrant and intricate, bringing the bustling Fancy Pants Towers to life on the page. Fun illustrative details pepper the pages, such as a skylight for a giraffe to fit comfortably inside Wolfred’s elevator. Wolfred himself is a hero to cheer for—resilient, polite, humble, hard-working—and his experiences demonstrate the power of storytelling to enact change.
Bronte Coates is the digital content manager and prizes manager at Readings.
