Every night at midnight

In a solo debut, Cheong (I'm a Hero Too) grabs readers' attention right out of the gate with a sentence that becomes the book's refrain: "Every night at midnight," says the book's narrating child protagonist, portrayed with tan skin and bathed in moonlight, "I turn into a wolf." Digital artwork rendered in multilayered expressionistic compositions and tones of purple and black show the transformed, sleek black wolf--still clothed in the child's red sweater--confidently navigating quiet streets and rooftops. But while the child clearly enjoys the independence that accompanies this exceptional life, readers will sense a yearning for connection; having declined so many invitations for sleepovers, the wolf-child is left alone by classmates, who are portrayed with various skin tones. Then, one night, the wolf has a joyful encounter with another of their species ("We leap, we bound, we fly") and eventually discovers the new wolf's identity--and that of other local animal shapeshifters. Cheong's message is as striking as the title's art and soul-searching narrative voice: self-acceptance is important, but being open to the possibilities within others can take one to surprising places--and enjoyable sleepovers. Ages 4--8. Agent: Paige Terlip, Andrea Brown Literary. (Aug.)

A lone wolf finds comfort in a new friendship. "Every night at midnight I turn into a wolf," the young, brown-skinned narrator reveals. The affliction is mostly welcome. With nimble paws and a magnificent tail, this werewolf runs by moonlight, independent and speedy. Still, secretly turning into a wolf every night makes it difficult to maintain friendships and attend sleepovers. "There is no one else like me," the child reports, at once reveling in the transformation and acknowledging how it has resulted in loneliness. Then a new girl arrives at school. With a long mane of white hair and a wolf pendant around her neck, the tan-skinned girl seems to make friends easily. In the class's weekly race, she even beats the narrator, who usually wins. That night, the protagonist is joined by a white wolf wearing a familiar pendant. Together, they fly across the rooftops, smiles on their adorable wolf faces…until a misstep leaves the white wolf tumbling to the ground with an injured paw and eventually leads to the protagonist feeling less alone. Cheong's approachable prose and charming illustrations deliver a heartfelt story about the comfort of community. Human characters are diverse in skin tone and body type. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Warm and dreamy, this sweet story captures the joy of finding your pack. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.