Will Wolfheart
Teresa Heapy, illustrated by Adam Beer
David Fickling Books

Will loves his dog, Whiskers, more than anything and is devastated when, having moved house, Whiskers goes to live with Will’s grandma, Gran-Mishti, meaning he only gets to see Whiskers at weekends. Then on one of these eagerly awaited weekends, Will is suddenly transported to a magical world wherein Whiskers is a wolf and the two can speak to one another. This world is Wolf World: enchanted and exciting yes, but danger is never far away.

The author’s portrayal of the relationship between Will and Whiskers is superb but equally so is that captured in Adam Beer’s illustrations. However there are a number of other memorable characters too: not least Clara, a human girl and members of the adversarial wolf packs, some of which are friendly towards humans, others far from it; and the wild, magical setting wields a power of its own: I really loved the descriptions of the changing skyscapes. I loved too the support Will’s Dad gave him at a crucial point in the story when the boy was showing great stress.

Animal lovers will certainly relish the tale with its perils aplenty and powerful messages about belonging and ways of loving . However you definitely do not have to love dogs to enjoy this book; I’m petrified of them having been attacked by an Alsatian as a child and was captivated by the story. It would make a terrific read aloud to share with KS2 classes but make sure you show the final illustration of Gran-Mishti’s gate.