Lone Wolf Gets a Pet (Lone Wolf)

This early reader comedy, a kickoff to the Lone Wolf series, stars a solitary wolf whose plan to buy jellybeans is frustrated by a cleaned-out candy display. Learning that the confections are being offered as prizes for a Best Pet competition, the protagonist immediately sets about procuring a pet (“Wolf did not have a pet. Wolf did not want a pet. But he did want jellybeans”). A jolly hiker with a trick-savvy dog inspires Wolf to obtain a hound... whose only trick is burying Wolf’s shoe outside. Next, Wolf’s experiment with feline ownership, inspired by an eager girl with a cool cat, ends badly. And when Wolf arrives at the pet contest with a goldfish, another entrant takes the top prize—and paves the way for Wolf to gain the winner’s takings without compromising his nature. Thomas (The Callers) consistently uses the format’s short, choppy sentences to draw laughs, while Steele (That Always Happens Sometimes) gives the characters, portrayed with various skin tones, googly eyes and richly emotive expressions. A sure-of-himself protagonist who knows what he needs, Wolf proves an excellent model of both bone-dry humor and secure solitude. Publishing simultaneously: Lone Wolf Goes to School. Ages 6–9. Author’s agent: Sophie Hicks, Sophie Hicks Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Erica Rand Silverman, Stimola Literary. (Oct.)