Happy Book Birthday, The Underwearwolf by Gideon Sterer!

There are two reasons to celebrate today. First, it's Mother's Day!!! Here's wishing every mother out there a wonderful day. 

Second, it's book birthday time! Today's read, actually, doesn't hit the shelves in two days, but that's close enough for me. It's always fun to pick up a humorous read, and I have a feeling that this book is packed with that. Now, I'm wondering if that werewolf twist will give it a little adventure, too, but we'll find out if it does or not after we open it up and take a peek.

After making sure we don't have a full moon tonight, I'm ready to open this one up!

THE UNDERWEARWOLF

by Gideon Sterer

Illustrated by Charles Santoso

Simon & Schuster

Picture Book

32 pages

ages 4 to 8

Perfect for fans of Creepy Pair of Underwear, this wolfish picture book romp follows a kid who finds himself in a hairy situation when he dons a pair of not-so-normal undies under the light of the full moon.

Do not, under any circumstances,
Or for any reason,
Wear this underwear under the full moon.

Do you understand?

Get ready to howl with laughter as one rule-breaking, underwear-loving kid transforms into a—gasp!—UNDERWEARWOLF! Now he’s on an unforgettable nighttime adventure that may or may not include furry paws, sharp claws, uncomfortable wedgies, and an honest-to-goodness wild wolfpack! No butts about it—this is one read-aloud that’ll blow your undies off!

GOODREADS    /    PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Monsterly fun hits with a dash of underwear humor to make an original and exciting read.

This little boy really likes his underwear. He even has a pair hung up for each day of the week. So, when a relative gives him an unique pair of wool, fuzzy underwear, the boy is excited...although even he finds fuzzy underwear a bit odd. Stranger yet, there's a note on the inside, which warns from wearing the underwear during the full moon. The boy doesn't care about that, though, and quickly puts them on. The last thing he expects is to turn into a werewolf and take off into the night.

While I thought this would be an 'underwear humor' read...and it is that too...but it swings into the wilder side with the werewolf adventure, too. The boy is introduced with a bit of an oddity as very colorful underwear hang, each with its own hanger, along a wall. So while there is underwear humor, it comes with a little edge to keep it more subtle and run right along with the paranormal side. This makes it even a nice read for Halloween as the boy takes off into the night and meets more monsterly-ish adventures there. This side has a racing feel to it and keeps a slightly tense action style  Then, there's a little uncertainty as the boy wonders if everything is getting to be too much, but that's exactly when the author tosses in a phrase of humor, which adds a giggle of lightness despite the whisper of something heavier. 

The illustrations match the mood changes wonderfully and go from light silliness to dim and spooky. It creates a grabbing read and works well for read-aloud sessions or for listeners to explore on their own. 

And here they are...

Gideon Sterer is the New York Times bestselling author of The Christmas Owl, I Will Read to You, From Ed’s to Ned’s, Not Your Nest!, The Night Knights, and The Midnight Fair, among others. Gideon grew up in upstate New York, where his parents owned a little zoo in which he would run around after hours and let the animals out. He now lives in the Hudson Valley and invites you to visit him online at GideonSterer.com and on X.

Charles Santoso loves drawing little things in his little journal. He gathers inspiration from his childhood memories and curiosities he discovers in his everyday travels. He has illustrated several picture books, including The Snurtch, I Don’t Like Koala, Finding Muchness, and Ida, Always. Charles also works as a visual development artist, creating illustrations for feature film projects. He lives and works in Singapore. You can visit him at CharlesSantoso.com.