Wolf's Belly

Wolf's Belly

John August, Simón Estrada (Illustrator)
$15.99
Publish Date:
Publisher:
Roaring Brook Press
ISBN:
9781250875235
Pages:
320
Age Range:
8 - 12
Language:
English
Stock Information
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(CHILD PICTURE BOOKS)
On Our Shelves Now - Click Title for More Details

The artwork is gorgeous and the story is fantastic. So many interwoven fables/fairy tales are present, and the messaging is perfect without being heavy-handed!

Laura Sharp, Literally, A Bookshop, Gilbert, AZ
July/August 2026 Kids Indie Next List

Description

An engaging and surprising retelling of Little Red Riding Hood that follows Lu (aka Little Red) and her grandmother into the wolf’s belly—a magical dimension home to all the wolf has ever eaten. Perfect for fans of LIGHTFALL and THIS WAS OUR PACT.

You may think you know the story.

Little Red Riding Hood is swallowed by a wolf, and later rescued by a kindly Woodcutter.

But that’s not what really happened.

For starters, her name was Lu. The daughter of two brave adventurers, she wasn’t headed to Grandmother’s house. She was looking for glory.

She was hunting the Wolf.

Swallowed by the beast, Lu finds herself trapped in Wolf’s Belly, a magical dimension holding all the things the wolf has eaten. To escape, she must win over and unite the other fairytale survivors, including a stubborn Knight and the fourth Little Pig.

Adventure awaits, and danger! Can Lu unlock the secrets of this strange realm before the Wolf devours her village?

About the Author

Born and raised in Boulder, Colorado, John August earned a degree in journalism from Drake University and an MFA in film from USC. As a screenwriter, his credits include Big Fish, Charlie’s Angels, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie. His books include Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire.

In addition to his film career, he hosts a popular weekly podcast, Scriptnotes, with Craig Mazin. He also created the Writer Emergency Pack, an educational storytelling tool that was distributed to over 2,000 classrooms in partnership with non-profit literacy groups like 826LA and NaNoWriMo. John and his family live in Los Angeles.



Simón Estrada is from Pasadena, CA but he currently resides in Hollywood. He received a BA in Fine Arts from the University of California Santa Barbara and a BFA in Illustration with an emphasis on Entertainment Arts from the Art Center College of Design. Since 2013 he’s been working in the animation industry as a character designer, Art Director and visual developer. His artistic experience extends beyond the animation industry which include a wide range of mediums such as children’s book illustrations, graphic novels, editorial art, graphic design, toy design and chalk murals. When he’s not working he loves to travel and spend time with his family and friends.

Praise for Wolf's Belly

Indie Next Selection

★ "[A] standout graphic novel that’s distinguished by its ability to maintain an optimistic tone as it cleverly probes common morality tales. Hope springs eternal in this perceptive fairy tale." -Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "[The] heart is where it’s at in this tale, because its characters are as satisfyingly and delightfully surprising in their nuances as its world." -Booklist, starred review

★ "A confluence of fractured fairy tales so inventive and beautiful, readers will feel like they’ve been transported to an entirely new once-upon-a-time world in which they are spellbound from opening scene to the end." -School Library Journal, starred review

"A creative, layered tale that invites multiple reads." -Kirkus

"This clever, multilayered graphic novel reimagines “Little Red Riding Hood” through a fractured-fairy-tale lens... August balances humor and thematic depth, offering a literal and metaphorical exploration of being “in the belly of the beast.”" -Horn Book