“Illustrations are bright and sketchy, with a loose, windblown feeling and coloured-pencil lines going everywhere in all directions; this matches Maggie’s frustration and then her freedom…Pair with Kyo Maclear and Isabelle Arsenault’s brilliant Virginia Wolf (2012).”
—Kirkus Reviews
“In a fantastical narrative that mirrors the plot of Where the Wild Things Are, a child learns to resolve overwhelming feelings…Scribbly strokes of colored pencil, chalk pastel, and wax crayon appropriately illustrate Maggie’s frustrations. The refrain ”If I am a [person], I am also a wolf” paints personhood as part and parcel of having wolfish feelings, and Wolf Mom’s advice (“Take a deep breath. Count to seven, which is ten in human breaths, and imagine your biggest feelings flying into the sky”) will prove useful for anyone having one of those days.”
—Publishers Weekly
“There’s a timelessness to the tale and an utter lack of judgment in the message: it’s OK to be a little wild every once in a while. Especially when it’s one of those days.”
—Booklist
“[A] great story about helping children get through some of their intense emotions.”
—Kristin Guay, Youth Services Book Review
"It’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day meets Where the Wild Things Are. Maggie already had so many misfortunes (her spaghetti was too long, the sky was too blue) when her two front teeth fall out. Fangs grow in their place, and she begins to have “wolfish thoughts.” The pencil and pastel drawings show how she resolves her feelings in an unexpected way."
—Parents Magazine
“[A] celebration of recognizing and resolving the strong emotions that we feel. Not only for kids, but also adults.”
—Houston Library Finds
“A pedagogical book that gets to the very core of emotional intelligence.”
—Jesica Sweedler DeHart, Neill Public Library
“In Howl Patrick’s warm storytelling style is beautifully enriched by Barrow’s bright, textured pencil drawings. Scribble has consistently put out fantastic children’s books since its launch in late 2016 and Howl is no exception. This is exactly the kind of gorgeous, imaginative, giftable picture book that booksellers will find themselves recommending far and wide come the lead-up to Christmas.”
—Bronte Coates, Books+Publishing
“Howl is a book for our times, especially for mothers and children in lockdown. The narrative encourages us to express our emotions, it’s cathartic to howl it all out!”
—Leesa Lambert, The Little Bookroom
