The Underwearwolf by Gideon Sterer & Charles Santoso

I have recently been informed that Summerween — the practice of celebrating Halloween in the summer — is an actual thing, so reading and reviewing this book in July is totally legit, lol.

Regardless of what time of year you encounter The Underwearwolf, I’m reasonably sure that you’ll be as charmed as I was by the premise. Our kid protagonist’s uncle, knowing his penchant for novelty underwear, sends him an unusual pair of briefs one birthday. As the day winds down, the kid decides to put on his brand new set of underpants, but notices that there’s a label attached, warning people against wearing them when the moon is full. The kid figures that the moon isn’t THAT full (lol,) so slips them on. Hilarious G-rated hijinks ensue.

If you have or have ever had young kids who love novelty underwear, you will absolutely understand this book. Heck, if you’ve ever had the satisfaction of slipping into underwear that you feel matches your personality, you will one hundred percent get this book. Clothing matters, not just in projecting a visual language but in building interior belief. Clothes can help you feel bolstered and prepared to take on the everyday battles of life, whether as a werewolf or some other kind of being, mythical or mundane.

But that’s probably more than the average child reader will think about. I handed this one to my youngest — he’s been charting poor reading marks in school so we’re doing a thing where we read an easy book then discuss it — and his initial takeaway was that this is a book about not wanting to be butt naked in awkward situations. Which, lol, yes, but the way the book is constructed allowed us to have a good discussion regarding reading for meaning, as we talked about what else happened in it. The prose is lively and the premise surreal enough to capture the imagination without being too scary, while also leaving plenty of room for interpretation.

Charles Santoso’s art is wonderfully expressive, pairing perfectly with Gideon Sterer’s text to add nuance and even more humor. I want to say that I spotted monster movie homages in some of the spreads but I’m not enough of a horror film buff to say for sure: regardless, they were evocative of (my recollection of) the classics in the most charming, kid-friendly way.

Whether you’re reading this for Summerween or Halloween or for any werewolf or underwear related reason, this picture book is a winner, with my youngest giving it a solid 4.8 out of 5 stars (I gave it a little less, just because I am a more jaded reader than he is.)

The Underwearwolf by Gideon Sterer & Charles Santoso was published May 12 2026 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and is available from all good booksellers, including