The Wolf in Underpants Breaks Free

Description

The Wolf in Underpants is arrested for being a lazypants! The Wolf helps out around the forest, but he doesn't ask for coins in return. That makes some other animals suspicious. They say everyone has to work--and they toss the Wolf in prison! While the anti-wolf brigade questions the Wolf's friends, the Wolf hatches a plan to break free. In the fourth tale of the Eisner-nominated Wolf in Underpants series, Wilfrid Lupano and Mayana Itoiz share a hilarious fable about the work in life that matters most.

Wilfrid Lupano was born in Nantes, in the west of France, and spent most of his childhood in the southwestern city of Pau, France. He spent his childhood reading through his parents' comic book collection and enjoying role-playing games. He studied literature and philosophy, receiving a degree in English, before he began to script comics. He has written numerous graphic novels for French readers, including the series Les Vieux Fourneaux (in English, The Old Geezers). With this series, Lupano and Paul Cauuet first developed the idea that would become The Wolf in Underpants. Lupano once again lives in Pau after spending several years in the city of Toulouse. Mayana Itoiz was born in the city of Bayonne, in the southwest of France, and studied at the institut superieur des arts de Toulouse (School of Fine Arts in Toulouse), where she worked in many different mediums. In addition to being an illustrator and a cartoonist, she has taught art to high school students. She lives in the Pyrenees, near France's mountainous southern border, and splits her time between art, family, and travel. Paul Cauuet was born in Toulouse and grew up in a family that encouraged his passion for drawing. He was also a fond reader of classic Franco-Belgian comics such as Tintin and Asterix. He studied at the University of Toulouse and went on to a career as a cartoonist. Cauuet and Wilfrid Lupano first collaborated on an outer-space comedy series before working together on Les Vieux Fourneaux (The Old Geezers).

"This fourth installment in the hilarious Franco-Belgian "Wolf in Underpants" series begins in the outdoor market. When the Anti-Wolf Brigade arrests the titular wolf for purported theft, he says he paid fair and square. He even shows his stash of coins, prompting suspicion about where he got them since he doesn't work. The "lazypants" wolf ends up in jail and debates the merits of working in the first place. The big reveal: he has secretly been helping other animals pro bono. As with other series entries, there's a moral nestled in this funny book--as well as some pointed commentary about capitalism. The lack of speech bubbles may confuse some emerging readers, but the quick narrative is relatively easy to follow, with a large trim size and generally few panels per page. VERDICT Engaging art and high appeal make this import a fresh addition to most collections." --School Library Journal -- "Journal" (12/1/2022 12:00:00 AM) "Wolf falls afoul of a pair of overzealous vigilantes, who arrest him on the theory that because he's not working, he must be a criminal. The latest entry in a hybrid picture book/graphic novel series given to sharp social commentary takes particular aim at the notion that anyone who doesn't work must be either lazy or a thief. Because he refuses to explain where he got the coins to pay for his daily noodles, Wolf is hustled off to jail by two badgers in military dress--but when they try to uncover evidence of his supposed crimes, all they learn is that he does lots of good deeds, like helping out at the clinic and chaperoning schoolchildren without asking for reward ('Money? Please, we don't have any money. We're teachers!' 'Oh. Right'). Meanwhile, a self-righteous local tycoon's claim that 'work builds character!' gets a skewering as someone points out that they inherited their factory, and after responding to a guard's notion that everyone has to work to earn a living with 'I don't need to EARN a life. I've already got one!' Wolf borrows a shovel to dig his way out. He's immediately surrounded by a crowd of admirers. The money, it turns out, is simply a redistribution of wealth as grateful mice return a favor by stealing money from the tycoon and tucking it into the gaily striped underwear Wolf sports in the cartoon illustrations while he's sleeping. As the badgers slink off to 'waste time . . . I mean . . . patrol . . ., ' a varied cast of woodland creatures offers background chatter and additional commentary. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A clear message that there's more to life than making a living."--Kirkus Reviews -- "Journal" (8/1/2022 12:00:00 AM)