This Wolf Was Different

A New York Public Library Book for Kids 2024

Inspired by natural history, this captivating picture book imagines how humans and wolves first came together, exploring individuality and how true friendship means embracing differences.

Long ago, a wolf pup was born in a forest. This pup was a wolf, and so were her brothers and sisters. But this wolf was different. She liked staying close to the den instead of hunting and chasing her tail instead of chasing other animals. She wished she were more like her siblings—more like a real wolf.

Then she meets a new kind of creature, no more like the other wolves than she is. As a new friendship blossoms, the wolf discovers that it’s okay to be different and, better yet, it’s a gift to be something new.

This gorgeously illustrated book includes extensive backmatter with scientific information about how wolves and humans first connected.