Cry of the Wolf

"I’ve published a lot of fiction as well as illustrated books. In the case of Melvin Burgess this was his first book. And at first I was a bit reluctant because I was old-fashioned and I thought if a teenager wanted to read they would normally choose an adult book. The Cry of the Wolf was pushed to me by my son, who was then 10 years old, or 12 years old. He said, “Dad, you have to publish this book. It’s such a fantastic idea about the last wolf in Britain and so well-handled.” And indeed it was. This was Melvin Burgess’s first book and we’ve gone on from there and done another 20 or so. I’ve stopped counting. Junk is one of his most famous books. There’s a resurgence, a renewed interest, in wolf books. But wolves I find quite interesting. On the continent, they have reintroduced wolves in some countries like Italy and Germany. And this book shows children that wolves are not as they are often portrayed in children’s books. Exactly."