Wolfgang in the Meadow: A Spooky Story About a Little Ghost Learning to Define Success for Kids

by Lenny Wen

A little ghost with big dreams learns to define success on his own terms in a spookily satisfying story for our times from Lenny Wen.  Everything in the meadow, from hugging the trees to stargazing with friends, fills Wolfgang with joy. His ambition, though, is to become the great spirit of the Dark Castle. So Wolfgang strives to perfect his spooking skills, practicing day and night. When Wolfgang wins the honor of haunting the shadowy halls, he is very good at it…but if being a great spirit means leaving his beloved meadow behind, is it good for him ? 

Genres: Picture Books, Halloween, Childrens, Ghosts, Fantasy, Mental Health, Juvenile

40 pages, Hardcover

First published July 16, 2024

About the author

Lenny Wen is a children’s book author and illustrator born and raised in Indonesia. She has illustrated books such as Linda Sue Park's SMILING EYES and Megan McDonald's FAIRY DOOR DIARIES series. She also wrote and illustrated her own books, such as SPICY SPICY HOT! and WOLFGANG IN THE MEADOW. When she is not drawing or writing, you can find her staring at trees, doodling bears, or walking in the woods with her dog. She currently lives in the countryside of Austria.

To learn more about Lenny, visit www.lennywen.com

Reviews

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

"On sunny afternoons he watched the clouds and he stargazed on dark evenings."

Wolfgang and I could be twins. We both have a passion for the spooky life, but we also appreciate nature, enjoy reading, and love spending time looking at the sky. It’s the simple things that the universe offers us.

This shows that you can embrace a spooky lifestyle while still cherishing the small, non-spooky aspects of life. ♥

[Lorellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect springtime book, especially for those obsessed with spooky season. Tot and I both loved following along with Wolfgang as he did a bit of soul searching, finding a lesson in balance for all ages.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um, this was the cutest book ever! The illustrations are so adorable. A ghost who haunts a flowery meadow takes over haunting a castle, but doesn't feel as fulfilled away from his forest friends and home. I loved the message that you can take your aspirations and add your own personality to them. A perfect combination of "spooky" and colorful/woodsy.

[lea ❦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my best reads of the year and i am very serious

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tiny ghost facing existential crisis - very much relatable.
Love the beautiful artwork and vibrant colors used for the illustration!

[madeline ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

he's just like me frfr

[Liselotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ach gossie, dit boekje heeft mij toch wel eventjes geraakt hoor. Inmiddels ben ik 31 en ik ben nog steeds dol op """"kinderachtige"""" dingen. Zelf vind ik dat niet zo (kinderachtig bedoel ik), maar ik heb al vrij vaak in mijn volwassenleven gehoord dat ik eens moet opgroeien of mij moet aanpassen of veranderen... Dus Wolfgang in de wei kwam eventjes goed binnen. Heel lief boekje en zeker een aanrader!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute and absolutely beautiful.

[Sirah · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the meadow, Wolfgang hugged trees and watched clouds, but he also dreamed of becoming like his ghostly role-model, Hubert. So Wolfgang began training his spooky powers, leaving behind his friends in the meadow, and sure enough, he became the spookiest ghost around. But at what cost?

This cozy little book reminds us that it's possible to have two dreams and sometimes what's most important can change. And that's okay. The illustrations are suitably cozy and spooky as needed, and the prose is fun to read.

[D. Field · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun Halloween book that illustrates the importance of being yourself.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wolfgang is a darling, but he’s also quite ambitious. His goal is to not only to be just like his hero, but also to become his hero’s successor. Soon his passion for success becomes all—consuming until finally, Wolfgang realizes that single-focused endeavors sap the joy out of your success. When Wolfgang falls from grace, he experiences the joy to be found in non-spooky activities and learns that a good life needs balance. It should never be all or nothing.

[Marcella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wat is dit een lief prentenboek! Over spook Wolfgang die niets liever wil dan Govert Griezel op te volgen om het nieuwe spook van Kasteel Donkerstein te worden en daarvoor oefent hij elke dag met spoken, verstoppen en toveren. Wolfgang doet echter nog veel meer dingen heel graag, zoals bomen knuffelen en bloemen plukken in zijn wei, maar daar is nu geen tijd meer voor…

Een prentenboek over jezelf zijn en blijven, hoe belangrijk het is om tijd te maken voor je hobby’s en om tijd te maken voor wat jou ‘jou’ maakt. Het is misschien geen vernieuwend principe, toch waardeer ik het hoe dit prentenboek dit thema bespreekt - niks ligt er te dik bovenop en er is genoeg ruimte voor eigen interpretatie. Fijne illustraties, fan van Wolfgang! 💛

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I dont usually rate picture books on goodreads, but this book was really cute & I want to keep it somewhere 😊 the art is beautiful

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wolfgang was a happy ghost, enjoying his cheerful life in the Meadow, where he liked to play with his friends, gather flowers and gaze at the sky. He also enjoyed more spooky pursuits, and dreamed of being like his hero, the Mighty Hubert, a terrifying specter who had haunted the nearby Dark Castle for 999 years. But when Wolfgang's fondest wish was granted, and he was chosen as Hubert's successor, he slowly found all of the joy draining out of his life. He knew something was wrong, that something was missing, but it was only when he returned to the Meadow that he discovered what it was...

I'm quite fond of friendly and/or shy ghost stories, of which there is no shortage in picture book land. Think of Robert Bright's Georgie and its many sequels, all of the tales devoted to Casper the Friendly Ghost , Jane Thayer's Gus Was a Friendly Ghost and sequels, Cale Atkinson's Sir Simon: Super Scarer and related chapter books, Riel Nason & Byron Eggenschwiler's The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt and sequel, Flavia Z. Drago's Gustavo, the Shy Ghost , Elaine Bickell & Raymond McGrath's The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo! , Maggie Edkins Willis' Little Ghost Makes a Friend , Ben Clanton's Boo Who? , and Guido Van Genechten's Gilbert the Ghost . In short: there are enough for it to be considered a tale-type of its own.

Given my interest in this kind of story, when I discovered author/artist Lenny Wen's Wolfgang in the Meadow I immediately sought it out, attracted both by the tale type and the colorful cover art. It's an interesting contribution to this body of stories, being more about balance than anything else—the need to have both spooky and cheerful elements in the spectral hero's life. I found the story itself engaging, and the artwork absolutely charming. I'd run across Lenny Wen's work before, in the illustrations she contributed to Cal Everett's 2021 Halloween is Coming! , which I found colorful but somewhat chaotic. Here I found the visuals adorable, appreciating the vibrant color palette and the cute ghostly and animals figures. I don't think this is destined to become a favorite, but I did enjoy it, and I would recommend it to picture book readers who also enjoy ghost stories on the sweeter side.

[Kathy Temean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolfgang in the Meadow is such a heartwarming, whimsical story about working hard to attain your dreams and knowing it is okay to change course from what you wanted and take another path to happiness. Kids and their parents will fall in love with Wolfgang. I know I did.

The meadow where Wolfgang lives is beautiful. He loves twirling in the air, casting spells, hugging trees, picking wildflowers, watching the clouds go by and star gazing. But Wolfgang wants to be the just like The Mighty Herbert who has single-handedly haunted the Dark Castle for a thousand years and must retire. 

Wolfgang strives to perfect his spooking skills, practicing day and night to make sure Might Herbert picks him as his successor. When Wolfgang wins the honor of haunting the castle's shadowy halls and living his dream. He became the greatest ghost anyone had ever witnessed. After some time he didn't feel great anymore. Something was missing. Wolfgang slowly started to lose his powers. He couldn't send out bolts of lightning or float around a room. Finally, since he can't float he falls out of the dark castle and into the beautiful meadow surrounded by the flowers and the loving woodland creatures. 

being a great spirit means leaving his beloved meadow and he misses the splendors of his sunny meadow filled with cute woodland creatures. Once he was around the things he loved, he could float again. Even though he still wanted to haunt the dark castle, he decided he would never leave his meadow again.

I love how Lenny started out the book with THE DAILY SPIRIT Newspaper with a picture of a dark spooky picture of the Mighty Herbert. The  Headline: THE MIGHTY HERBET Who single-handedly haunts Dark Castle over the Centuries and a book titled The MIGHTY HERBERT lying on the side of the paper.

Then ended with THE DAILY SPIRIT Newspaper with a picture of a happy Woflfgang frolicking in his meadow. Headline: THE WONDER WOLFGANG a ghost who loves nature and daydreaming and a book titled THE WONDER WOLFGANG lying on the side of the paper.

This book is a perfect balance of creepy, funny, and cute. Kids will love the dark castle, creepy skulls, spooky dark spells, potions, and more while enjoying the loveable huggable Wolfgang who looks like a soft-shaped puffy marshmallow floating around the meadow with all the cute woodland creatures. Parents will appreciate the wow factor of Lenny's illustrations that visually contrast the eerie dark scenes against the vividly bright colors of Wolfgang’s meadow to emphasize the beauty on every page.

Wolfgang’s dilemma will speak to readers of any age trying to navigate clashes between joy and ambition. Don't miss this book, it is a great combination of story and Illustrations.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two stars for the story, an extra star for the art. I was so disappointed that the art in this book is fantastic, but the story fell flat. It stared off strong, I cared about Wolfgang, I wanted to cheer for him, but I didn't understand his dream of being a great spirit? What in his life gave him the incentive to do something so different from what already made him happy? I was looking for an internal or external force here. Then when he got his wish, what happened to make things go wrong? There was no event that caused the shift, it just started happening. I needed another internal or external event as impetus. Considering how long and wordy this story is, I don't think the text was optimized to create a great story. This is when an author/illustrator combo is frustrating. It's too bad because the art is truly amazing.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A ghost loves being in the meadow, making friends collecting flowers, etc. Their dream job is to take over the haunting of a very important castle. Upon landing their dream job they do it and they love it until they realize that they’re losing part of themselves. They need to go back to the meadow. I understand the allegory of this book. That sometimes what you dream of doing is not actually right for you. But I’m not sure if it’s the phrasing or if it’s the way it’s written. This book makes it seem like Wolfgang went back to the meadow, but took some of the haunting stuff with them When I think a better message might have been to be able to do a little bit of both. I’m not sure I do like the art. I’m just not the biggest fan of the story.

[Mizzy Mint · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so super cute. I love the juxtaposition of ghost and ghouls in a meadow and in a field of flowers. It's very cute and shows a little ghost training and studying to be a great spirit. He reaches his goal and becomes the greatest and scariest spirit, just like his hero who's mantel he takes up. But then, he starts to lose his spark! This represents 1, the importance of taking time to step back from work and duties to self-care and to experience things that revitalize the soul, and 2, to remember what brings you joy and don't abandon that. He had friends and beauty in the meadow, that when taken away, made him lose the ability to be his great self. Very cute and colorful, plus a great message.

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book is best summed up by "There's no place like home". Wolfgang is so happy in his meadow with all his friends. Still, he wants to haunt the mansion and the famous haunter is about to retire. He's looking for a successor. Wolfgang wants it. So he studies and practices.

The artwork is nice. I love the bright pictures of the meadows. The mansion is dreary and huge. The artwork distinguishes the two places well.

Wolfgang gets the job and then gets depressed missing his meadow. It's good to keep our friends close.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolfgang loves his home in the meadow where he plays with friends and appreciates life around him. But, he really wants to take over haunting the Dark Castle when his hero, The Mighty Hubert, retires. After getting the job, he discovers he wants more from life than being the scariest ghost for a thousand years. He figures out he needs to nourish himself with all that was important in the meadow so finds a new way to be the ghost of Dark Castle.
The artwork captures the emotions and helps bring the story to life.

[Terresa Wellborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super sweet tale about Wolfgang, an aspiring little ghost who wants to be just like his hero ghost, Hubert. His dream comes true until one day he realizes what he misses most: the meadow with its trees, flowers, and kind creatures. Some fantastic illustrations with the warmest, fuzziest feels. :)

Themes: Halloween, ghosts, fantasy
Ages: preK-2nd grade
Pub year: 2024

[Shanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very cute book about a cute ghost who loves being in the meadow, but has ambitions of becoming the haunter of the big spooky mansion. However, when he gets to the top of his haunting game, Wolfgang finds something is missing.

A necessary book about the boundaries we set in our lives. Wolfgang is a sweet character you cannot help but love!

Mia’s Year of Books: Day 234

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another book that I saw on Instagram and it was a big win. This was such a cute read for around Halloween as well. My daughter really enjoyed the story and the illustrations and so did I. I hope there’s more Wolfgang books because we will read them.
We would recommend this book again to everyone!

[Lauren M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, such a precious book!

This book features Wolfgang, our very sweet and ambitious protagonist, and his struggle with finding a balance between what he enjoys and his new responsibilities.

The illustrations are lovely, and they help convey the messages of the book! Halloween time or not, this is a book to read anytime!

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy and cute with a very cute tiny ghost trying to find where he fits. The illustrations are so cutesy-but the settings are hilariously dark. If you have kids who like sort of creepy/cute things -- this is perfect.

[Sarah Mismash · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet (not spooky, which is a must for me!) Halloween/ghost book about having different sides of yourself and learning to have both be part of your life! Loved the artwork, loved the character, loved the story.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story about Wolfgang, a ghost with a special job in mind. Once he gets the job, he finds it does not give him happiness, and he goes back to his former way of living, to a forest family who loves him. A darling story with beautiful illustrations and happy colors to make you smile!

[Kelly]

This was a sweet ghost story, which maybe isn't your first thought about ghosts. It had its creepy moments, and the illustrations did a great job showing the darkness of creep and then the lightness of the meadow.

[Madison LibraryBookFamily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolfgang is thrilled to be chosen as the Dark Castle's newest ghost, but soon he loses his interest.

Cute and slightly spooky, this book is all about being true to yourself and what brings you joy.

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

A ghost is dissatisfied with his career and after experiencing unexpected career related injuries, reconnects with friends from his hometown to rediscover himself. My only complaint is that this is too adorable.