Mara and the Bad Wolf

By Ké Kampeas-Rittenhouse

"Riveting... carefully crafted and lushly illustrated... in a word: 'genius'" - The Townships Sun. Mara and the Bad Wolf is a gender-magical fairy tale for children aged 7-10 written by gender fluid author K Kampeas-Rittenhouse, featuring gorgeous hand-drawn color illustrations by award-winning artist Kamila-Wojciechowicz-Krauze.

On Mara the fox's eleventh birthday, a rebellious teenage wolf takes Mara to a mysterious island where getting lost is as easy as falling into a patch of wild mushrooms. Mara soon finds herself alone and confused, with no idea how to get back home. Will any of the cheeky local animals help Mara find her way? Will she make it through the impossible Cave of Many Doors? And could the island be trying to tell Mara something important about herself? Sometimes, following your own path is trickier than it seems.

Dive into a whimsical journey of self-exploration that encourages kids of all genders to trust themselves and their emotions. Featuring a cast of queer and gender-diverse characters and a Gender Glossary with definitions for younger readers, this book is a great pick for readers who are navigating complicated emotions and changing family dynamics; readers who are queer, trans, or gender-diverse, or uncertain about or questioning their gender; and parents/teachers looking for well-crafted, engaging stories for children featuring LGBTQ+ characters and protagonists.

Topics explored: gender diversity, gender questioning, gender fluidity, trans youth, LGBTQ+, coming of age, parental divorce, anger, self-confidence, self-trust, empowerment, finding your magic.

Tropes: Modern fairy tale, rewriting fairy tales, shapeshifter, magical worlds, animal protagonist, absent parent, transformation, acceptance/love, happily ever after, LGBTQ+ protagonist, neurodivergent protagonist, discovering superpowers

Publisher: Sun Portal Media

Pages: 48 (9,000 words)

Illustrations: Fully illustrated with color illustrations

Ages: 7+

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1738078914
• ISBN13: 9781738078912
• Release Date: October 2024
• Publisher: Sun Portal Media
• Length: 50 Pages
• Weight: 0.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 11.0" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 7 to 11 years
• Grade Range: Grades 2 to 6