There are woolvs in the sitee. Oh, yes!
In the streets, in the parks, in the allees.
In shops, in rustee playgrownds,
In howses rite next dor.
And soon they will kum.
They will kum for me and for yoo
And for yor bruthers and sisters,
Yor mothers and fathers, yor arnts and unkils,
Yor grandfathers and grandmothers.
No wun is spared.
Ben lives alone in a basement flat, looking at a world gone mad. The city is almost abandoned. Garbage is everywhere, and the few people that remain live in fear of the 'woolvs' that prowl the alleyways.
Ben's only contact with the outside world is Missus Radinski, the old woman who lives upstairs. They look after one another and care for each other. When Missus Radinski disappears, Ben decides it is time to leave his safe flat and go find the old woman. He will no longer be cowed; he will face whatever lives in the shadows.
Three things distinguish this book and make it such a brilliant discovery.
The first is its use of a 'devolving' phonetic language that reflects the primitive world Ben occupies.
Second, the sophisticated design and artwork merges the graphic novel with the traditional picture book.
Third, this is the first time Margaret Wild and Anne Spudvilas have collaborated on a project since the CBC award-winning picture book, Jenny Angel.
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