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Wolf
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It is the long, hot summer of 1976. Hugo, the youngest child of three, is walking with his father in the woods. There, he comes face-to-face with a wolf—and from that moment on, his life will never be the same again. Soon after, a tragic accident leaves Hugo desolate and disoriented. The family, now grieving and incomplete, moves to a new home. Among Hugo’s new neighbors i
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Hardcover, 296 pages
Published
October 30th 2018
by SelfMadeHero
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Set in 1970s England, Hugo’s dad dies in an accident and the family moves into a new, smaller house and deal with grief in their own way. Except Hugo has a plan: to build a time machine and bring his dad back. And he’s going to need the help of the Wolfman next door…!
Rachael Ball’s Wolf is ok. It’s not the most compelling coming-of-age story and nothing that spectacular happens. The “time machine” and the book’s ending played out predictably and none of the characters were especially interestin ...more
Rachael Ball’s Wolf is ok. It’s not the most compelling coming-of-age story and nothing that spectacular happens. The “time machine” and the book’s ending played out predictably and none of the characters were especially interestin ...more

A long and subtle and simple graphic novel about grief. The opening scenes, set in the seventies, depict Hugo and and his Dad together. At one point young Hugo thinks he sees a wolf. Later, he meets and befriends an old man dying of cancer that everyone in the neighborhood calls Wolfman who makes and hangs model airplanes in his apartment. I like Hugo's siblings and mom and their interactions.
What Hugo wants is to go back in time. He and his brother and sisters make a time machine out of scraps. ...more
What Hugo wants is to go back in time. He and his brother and sisters make a time machine out of scraps. ...more

I really liked the art in here, it's all done in pencil and during the reading experience you feel like you could smudge the pages if you're not too careful.
This was a quick and subtle story about a young boy coming to terms with his fathers death. The story has a whimsical, magical air whilst also being very simple with not much actually happening.
Kids building a time machine and a mysterious neighbour are the main plot points. It was an enjoyable reading experience, and just for the art I fe ...more
This was a quick and subtle story about a young boy coming to terms with his fathers death. The story has a whimsical, magical air whilst also being very simple with not much actually happening.
Kids building a time machine and a mysterious neighbour are the main plot points. It was an enjoyable reading experience, and just for the art I fe ...more

The strangest book I’ve read in a long time. I don’t like any of the characters except maybe Sonia a bit. The graphic theme is misshapen British council house grot. I can’t figure out the symbolism of the wolf, the fish, the wood.
But there’s a powerful sense of wonder. I love that the walking, talking fish thing with a suitcase feels compelled to hide beneath a hood. Old Man Death Angel takes a neat ballet turn when he gets thwacked by one of his own model airplanes. You can also see human sha ...more
But there’s a powerful sense of wonder. I love that the walking, talking fish thing with a suitcase feels compelled to hide beneath a hood. Old Man Death Angel takes a neat ballet turn when he gets thwacked by one of his own model airplanes. You can also see human sha ...more

This book tells the story of a boy (Hugo) who loses his father. It shows the ways he and his family deal with their grief, with moving to a new home, and all the changes that happen after that. Hugo becomes obsessed with the idea of a time machine. If only he could go back in time, he could save their dad and everything would go back to normal. It takes a helping hand from an unlikely source to teach him how to deal with a life that doesn't turn out the way you might've liked, and how to make th
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Wolf by Rachael Ball is a great example of how simple pencil drawing can be beautiful, profound, and atmospheric. The story is classic coming-of-age for the main character, Hugo, who suffers an older brother and sister, a pretty awesome mom, and the recent and sudden loss of his father. Hugo's still thinking and talking of his father in the present tense, when he decides to build a time machine (I mean, THE time machine from the film [based on the book]) to, well, find his dad. There's one tiny
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It's very original and stylistic in art design. An entire pencil Graphic Novel and takes place in lower class Britain modern day. Quite an extraordinary little lifestyle here. The title is offputting and misleading...those wanting high fantasy or anthropmorphic fairy tale are out of luck. Has nothing to do with wolves. I will note, when did it become a trend for the father of a family to die in an accident in the opening scene? (Just read Amulet). I just like this family tho and the scenes of ar
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'Wolf' is a tale though simple in narative, its black and white ilustrations made only with graphite transmite a lot more than words. Hugo is a young boy going through a rough time in his life and must find a way to handle his lost. A new friend appears and helps Hugo create what he thinks can bring his dad back.
A good book for kids (and english starters) to learn more about death and grief. ...more
A good book for kids (and english starters) to learn more about death and grief. ...more

Struggled with the rating. Nice handling of a father's death, the impact on the youngest in the family. Sudden flashes of cruelty took my rating down, but it's a fair representation I think. I won't read it again I think but glad I did
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I'm surprised by the relatively low rating of this book, although it is definitely the adorable character designs and sensitive art that makes what could have been a pedestrian story more of a stand out for me.
Recommended. ...more
Recommended. ...more

I don't see why this book is called Wolf as the wolf isn't a vehicle in the story.
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A quick-reading GN about a young boy who's coping with some hard changes in the half-real way that kids sometimes do.
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Poignant, slightly creepy, imaginative and a little magical.

Lovely line illustrations, and a gentle story about loss and acceptance. Suffers from a lack of characterisation - even Hugo, Dad, and the Wolfman, barely step off the page. But I liked the opening chapters which depicted Hugo and Dad's relationship, and the time-machine 'travel' at the end.
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