William and the Wolves

William, stung to the quick when his parents describe him as unimaginative, becomes increasingly irritated with his little sister Mary’s invention of a pet lamb. As the rest of the family humour Mary, and the fictional lamb begins to dominate William’s life, he decides to let his imagination rip with some pets of his own. Six wolves, bent on the destruction of the lamb, begin to haunt the family, destroying his sister’s tranquillity. However, when the creatures begin to materialise on the streets and in school, William realises that exercising one’s imagination can be a dangerous business.

This is an intriguing book, full of light, domestic, humour, but tinged with a more serious feel for sibling rivalry, family tensions and the ambiguities of fantasy. Chris Riddell’s intricately detailed drawings capture the feelings of the characters perfectly.