School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-This latest offering about the little wolf focuses on good sportsmanship. Sam loves to play games, but only if he wins. When his friend Ray wins too often, Sam sulks and refuses to talk to him, and when their soccer team is scheduled to play "the big kids," Sam decides to skip the game because he's afraid they'll lose. Instead, he visits his grandma, who reminds him how much he loves soccer. In the end, she drives him to the game, which results in a tie, and he realizes that he loves to play games, even if he doesn't win every time. The story's obvious message is hammered home, and the unrealistically tied game undercuts its effectiveness. Despite Sam's authentically childlike voice, the translated text is somewhat choppy. Nevertheless, the young wolf is a believable character dealing with issues many children face. The full-bleed, color-saturated oil illustrations reflect his moods, and the characters are appealingly drawn with dots for eyes and lines for mouths. Libraries where the earlier books are popular, or those looking for more titles on good sportsmanship, may want to add this one, but most can pass.-Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Sam enjoys playing games as long as he is winning, but he takes it hard when his mother, his friend, and even his little brother beat him at cards. After Sam bows out of a soccer game because he thinks his team will lose, his grandmother offers him a different perspective and a chance to change his mind. Oil paintings with bold lines and colors clearly show the character's emotions, while simple words tell the story sympathetically from Sam's point of view. Like Sam Is Never Scared (2006) and Sam's New Friend (2008), this picture book was first published in Belgium.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2008 Booklist
