Title: The Boy Who Couldn’t Cry Wolf

Author: Caldric Blackwell

Illustrator: Emma Phillips

Publisher/Year: Icasm Press/2014

Summary: Six-year-old Byron Woodward is a werewolf who can’t howl. Determined not to embarrass himself after being chosen to lead a full-moon ceremony, he embarks on a mission to learn how to howl. He learns a lot about howling during his journey, but more importantly, he learns a valuable lesson about believing in himself.

Despite being a story about a werewolf, The Boy Who Couldn’t Cry Wolf is not at all scary, and it’s not meant to be. It’s about a young boy named Byron who happens to be a werewolf and who lives with his werewolf parents in a village full of werewolves. The only fear present in the book is felt by Byron when he is selected to lead the full-moon ceremony, but since he cannot howl, he is afraid he will embarrass himself in front of everyone.

Well written and charmingly illustrated, The Boy Who Couldn’t Cry Wolf succeeds in helping children see that fear and worry about what others think of us will keep us from being ourselves. And if we stop worrying, we are free to enjoy life. Sounds good for adults too, don’t you think? Overall, it’s a cute story with positive themes: courage, determination, and self-acceptance.