Every Night at Midnight

In a solo debut, Cheong (I’m a Hero Too) grabs readers’ attention right out of the gate with a sentence that becomes the book’s refrain: “Every night at midnight,” says the book’s narrating child protagonist, portrayed with tan skin and bathed in moonlight, “I turn into a wolf.” Digital artwork rendered in multilayered expressionistic compositions and tones of purple and black show the transformed, sleek black wolf—still clothed in the child’s red sweater—confidently navigating quiet streets and rooftops. But while the child clearly enjoys the independence that accompanies this exceptional life, readers will sense a yearning for connection; having declined so many invitations for sleepovers, the wolf-child is left alone by classmates, who are portrayed with various skin tones. Then, one night, the wolf has a joyful encounter with another of their species (“We leap, we bound, we fly”) and eventually discovers the new wolf’s identity—and that of other local animal shapeshifters. Cheong’s message is as striking as the title’s art and soul-searching narrative voice: self-acceptance is important, but being open to the possibilities within others can take one to surprising places—and enjoyable sleepovers. Ages 4–8. Agent: Paige Terlip, Andrea Brown Literary. (Aug.)