AUTHOR: Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani
ILLUSTRATOR: Art Baltazar
PUBLISHER: Blindwolf Studios
FORMAT: Trade Paperback
ISSUES: The Giant Sized Collection (Volumes 1/2 and 3/4)
PAGES: 160 pages each
COLOR: Black and White
ISBN (Volume 1/2): 0-9749941-0-3
ISBN (Volume 3/4): 0-9749941-1-1
STORY SYNOPSIS
Born into a family of humans, Patrick is an innocent young werewolf who is trying to find his way in an unfamiliar world. Patrick works hard to figure the rules of society, after all, being a werewolf has put him at a disadvantage over his peers. His speech is “delayed” and his social functioning is somewhat limited. The stories are told in small, comic strip-like vignettes.
STORY REVIEW
Part Family Circus and part Munsters, Patrick is the lone wolf of his family. An inquisitive and energetic little tyke, Patrick is not unlike other children. However, he is not altogether the same. Ultimately, it is this quality, his differences, that make him so appealing to me.
When I first picked up PATRICK THE WOLF BOY, I was marginally amused, but I kept reading and I am glad that I did. Something about Patrick kept me turning pages and it has taken me a while to figure out what that is. Patrick represents what it means to be a child. He thinks and speaks and acts, all of which comes out of his natural curiosity and need to understand his surroundings.
Whether intended or not, there is another aspect to Patrick that I cannot help but admire. In every classroom throughout the nation there are children who, for one reason or another, do not exactly fit in. These children may find it hard to interact with other children or may have difficulty communicating their thoughts and feelings orally. These same children may not know how to act around other children and they may act inappropriately. Obviously many children with disabilities fit into this category, but so do many other children who do not have disabilities. While reading, I was constantly amazed at how the adults and children reacted to and treated Patrick. They understood his behaviors - his feral nature - and made adaptations. All he says is “RARRGH” and yet veryone around him makes do. This is as much a comic as it is a manual on how adults (school officials) and children should treat others, especially those who do not have disabilities.
ART REVIEW
The art of PATRICK THE WOLF BOY is quite fitting for the character. The illustrations are presented in a clear manner with simple lines and no shading, but that should not be a deterrent for readers who generally prefer more detail. There really isn’t any other way to illustrate the book … well except to add color. Undoubtedly, color would make this title more appealing as would a higher quality paper.
AGE RECOMMENDATION
My Rating: All Ages
Publisher’s Rating: All Ages
All Ages Reads: All Ages
Comics in the Classroom: Ages 8 and older
BE AWARE:
There are some substitute swears in the books, such as “crap”, “fricken” and “heck”. All Ages Reads reports that there was a “#@*@!!” and a “sunsa-bishus” although I do not remember reading either one of those. I went back through the books to find them and could not. We also read different versions.
IN THE CLASSROOM
Taken as a way to talk about people with disabilities, without actually doing so, this book fits within the guidelines of multiculturism and could be a real asset in the classroom. I am having a hard time judging how children will respond to PATRICK, but I was smitten with him. I will say that the short format is perfect for students with short attention spans or those with very little time to read.
I do think that PATRICK THE WOLF BOY could be used to help tell a short, linear story to children, especially if one wants to teach children how to make their own comic. The stories and art lend themselves to teaching comics to kids.
MY RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended
I love PATRICK THE WOLF BOY and I recommend these volumes for the classroom.
ILLUSTRATOR: Art Baltazar
PUBLISHER: Blindwolf Studios
FORMAT: Trade Paperback
ISSUES: The Giant Sized Collection (Volumes 1/2 and 3/4)
PAGES: 160 pages each
COLOR: Black and White
ISBN (Volume 1/2): 0-9749941-0-3
ISBN (Volume 3/4): 0-9749941-1-1
STORY SYNOPSIS
Born into a family of humans, Patrick is an innocent young werewolf who is trying to find his way in an unfamiliar world. Patrick works hard to figure the rules of society, after all, being a werewolf has put him at a disadvantage over his peers. His speech is “delayed” and his social functioning is somewhat limited. The stories are told in small, comic strip-like vignettes.
STORY REVIEW
Part Family Circus and part Munsters, Patrick is the lone wolf of his family. An inquisitive and energetic little tyke, Patrick is not unlike other children. However, he is not altogether the same. Ultimately, it is this quality, his differences, that make him so appealing to me.
When I first picked up PATRICK THE WOLF BOY, I was marginally amused, but I kept reading and I am glad that I did. Something about Patrick kept me turning pages and it has taken me a while to figure out what that is. Patrick represents what it means to be a child. He thinks and speaks and acts, all of which comes out of his natural curiosity and need to understand his surroundings.
Whether intended or not, there is another aspect to Patrick that I cannot help but admire. In every classroom throughout the nation there are children who, for one reason or another, do not exactly fit in. These children may find it hard to interact with other children or may have difficulty communicating their thoughts and feelings orally. These same children may not know how to act around other children and they may act inappropriately. Obviously many children with disabilities fit into this category, but so do many other children who do not have disabilities. While reading, I was constantly amazed at how the adults and children reacted to and treated Patrick. They understood his behaviors - his feral nature - and made adaptations. All he says is “RARRGH” and yet veryone around him makes do. This is as much a comic as it is a manual on how adults (school officials) and children should treat others, especially those who do not have disabilities.
ART REVIEW
The art of PATRICK THE WOLF BOY is quite fitting for the character. The illustrations are presented in a clear manner with simple lines and no shading, but that should not be a deterrent for readers who generally prefer more detail. There really isn’t any other way to illustrate the book … well except to add color. Undoubtedly, color would make this title more appealing as would a higher quality paper.
AGE RECOMMENDATION
My Rating: All Ages
Publisher’s Rating: All Ages
All Ages Reads: All Ages
Comics in the Classroom: Ages 8 and older
BE AWARE:
There are some substitute swears in the books, such as “crap”, “fricken” and “heck”. All Ages Reads reports that there was a “#@*@!!” and a “sunsa-bishus” although I do not remember reading either one of those. I went back through the books to find them and could not. We also read different versions.
IN THE CLASSROOM
Taken as a way to talk about people with disabilities, without actually doing so, this book fits within the guidelines of multiculturism and could be a real asset in the classroom. I am having a hard time judging how children will respond to PATRICK, but I was smitten with him. I will say that the short format is perfect for students with short attention spans or those with very little time to read.
I do think that PATRICK THE WOLF BOY could be used to help tell a short, linear story to children, especially if one wants to teach children how to make their own comic. The stories and art lend themselves to teaching comics to kids.
MY RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended
I love PATRICK THE WOLF BOY and I recommend these volumes for the classroom.
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