The Big Bad Wolf Goes on Vacation

PreS-Gr 4—This follow-up to Perret's The Big Bad Wolf and Me (Sterling, 2006) again stars Louis and his wolf friend, Bernard. Similar in style and format to the first volume, the story is told through snappy dialogue and expressive pencil line drawings. With Louis's last school assignment completed and summer break beginning, Grandpa invites the child on a trip to the ocean. When Louis asks to bring along Bernard, Grandpa consents. During their travels, the three enjoy lunch in a park when they can't take Bernard into a restaurant, come upon a herd of odiferous cows blocking the roadway, and stop to stretch their legs near woods. Arriving at the seaside, Louis and Bernard partake of plenty of interactive seaside fun. The humorous characters are memorable, and the translation is smooth. Perret uses different font sizes and bold print to indicate which character is speaking. Comical sketches of Grandpa and Louis are drawn in blue while drawings of Bernard are in black. The artwork has been colored digitally for the English-language edition. Told through 12 short chapters, the story can be read and enjoyed independently from the first book. Readers will be left wanting more Louis and Bernard adventures.—Lynn Vanca, Freelance Librarian, Akron, OH