One is not the loneliest number in Kiah Thomas’s new early reader series about a lovably cranky wolf who prefers to do everything solo. With the first two books, Lone Wolf Goes to School and Lone Wolf Gets a Pet (Neal Porter Books/Holiday House) publishing October 8, PW talked with Thomas and illustrator K-Fai Steele (A Normal Pig) about making children’s books with adult appeal and why they chose to create a hero who, at first glance, seems like a misanthrope.
So many children’s books are about making friends and getting along with others. Why did you decide to focus on a character who prefers to go it alone?
Kiah: A while ago, Taylor Norman, our editor (Executive Editor, Neal Porter Books/Holiday House), and I were talking about buddy-duo stories, and she offhandedly mentioned that it might be nice to see a different dynamic—like a classroom of kids, or a trio, or a lone wolf. So I wrote a sort of tongue-in-cheek story about a literal lone wolf in a classroom of kids to make her laugh. But even in that first draft, Wolf kind of just took over. He was very much his own person—or wolf!—from the start, and it was really clear that there was a story to tell there. I love books about friendship and getting along with others, and I read them with my kids all the time, but I think it’s also important to have books that affirm kids who like to be by themselves.
What, or who, was the inspiration for Lone Wolf? Were either of you grumpy-but-lovable children?
Kiah: I think there’s a little bit of Lone Wolf in most of us... or if there’s not, then we know a Lone Wolf. Although, I don’t know that my growling has ever been quite as lovable as his. It’s been so interesting sharing the books in a few different classrooms and seeing the way that some kids in particular are drawn to him. K-Fai has made him so accessible, and I still marvel at how she captured that balance between grumpy and sweet.
While these books are for kids, there’s a lot for parents to love too—they’re very funny. Were you also thinking about your adult audience when writing and illustrating the books?
Kiah: My dream whenever I write something for kids is that it will be a joy for parents to read with them together and, hopefully, that it will stand up to multiple rereads. I’ve laughed a lot making these books as well. Even now, I’m still discovering new things in the illustrations that make me grin—often things my kids see first and point out to me!
Speaking of funny, the illustrations are infused with humor that melds perfectly with the writing. From your perspective, K-Fai, what goes into creating “funny” art?
K-Fai: When I was making the drawings for Wolf, I rewatched a lot of sitcoms, which helped put me in the right headspace. Wolf is the ultimate straight man, and it was fun to exaggerate all of the characters around him and then draw his reaction to them. Drawings add another narrative to a story, and I think in these books, they help to firmly plant you on Wolf’s side. Who would ever actually prefer to be friends with the Jolly Hiker after experiencing his ventriloquist-doll face and Boy Scout attitude?
Even kids who’d rather stay home than go to a party will be put in situations where there’s pressure to socialize. What can they learn from Lone Wolf?
Kiah: Hopefully they don’t learn that it’s a good idea to growl at people... but I’d like to think that they might learn that it’s okay for them to be themselves wherever they are. A friend recently told me that one of her favorite parts of the books is that the characters around Wolf love him for who he is. He lives in a community of people who might not always get it right but who just keep showing up for him and loving him, even when he does growl at them.
Early readers are such a sweet spot for kids. How does the format help budding readers feel more confident in their skills?
Kiah: I love early readers! The short, simple sentences; the repetition of words; and the relationship between the words and the pictures make them so accessible for new readers. There’s nothing quite like that feeling of picking up a book and having access to the story and the world all on your own. When my kids were learning to read, we often had fifty books out of the library at any one time. My niece is a budding reader at the moment, and watching her pick up a Lone Wolf story, read it by herself, and then tell her mom about it is just such a joy.
I love that the books avoid tidy endings or overt messaging to kids. In fact, I think there’s something quietly revolutionary about it! Was this a conscious decision?
Kiah: Early on, I tried writing a version of the books where Wolf begrudgingly ended up with a friend. And it just felt so wrong—almost like a betrayal of who he is. I pretty quickly stopped trying to write something that might be tidy or have a neat message and just tried to tell Wolf’s story.
Speaking of quietly revolutionary, the books have already gotten some amazing attention from bestselling children’s authors like Mac Barnett and Greg Pizzoli. How does that feel?
Kiah: All of the blurbs we’ve had from other authors and illustrators have just been so unbelievably lovely—a lot of them are from people whose books are what made me rediscover my love of kids’ books as an adult. It’s really special to have them read and say nice things about Wolf.
K-Fai: Of course it’s wonderful when Mac and Greg like your books! I was also so happy to learn that Kate Beaton, Monica Arnaldo, Eliza Kinkz, and Lian Cho like Wolf. I really, really admire them as funny people in general and incredibly brilliant writers and illustrators. They have incredible talent and taste, and I am such a big fan of them all.
In these first two books, Lone Wolf has navigated going to school and getting a pet to secure jelly beans. What’s next for the titular hero?
Kiah: Wolf loves books as much as he loves jelly beans, and on one of the next outings, he has to find a way to return his library book before story time. We’ll also see Wolf take a much-needed vacation... only to find that everyone else has chosen the same destination.
