Project WOOFF

By: Matthew McElligott

Project WOOFF was top-secret . . . until now.

Alex Grebert has lived his whole life in the off-grid community of Underland with his nature-loving Aunt Zinnia ever since his parents died unexpectedly. Alex loves his aunt, but it’s not easy being a coder in a place where electricity and internet are practically nonexistent.

When Alex’s best friend Lily Day takes in a stray cat named Fuzzypants, Alex is pulled into an adventure straight out of one of his self-made video games. The cat, whose real name is Professor Fuzzypants, PhD., is a product of Project WOOFF (Weaponized Optimization of Flora/Fauna), a top-secret government project that developed intelligent, speaking animals.

Project WOOFF was supposed to have been shut down a long time ago, but someone is continuing the experiments. Alex and Lily are determined to find out why it all went wrong, especially when Alex discovers that there may be more to his parents' story than he had ever been told.

Featuring black-and-white chapter opening artwork and full-page black-and-white illustrations throughout, this short series starter will appeal to the young middle-grade reluctant reader.

Critic reviews

Project Wooff is deliciously weird, nicely creepy, and laugh out loud funny. If Matthew McElligott had published this when I was a kid, it could have been one of my favorite books for the rest of my life!

Captivating ink and watercolor illustrations. . . reinforce the mathematical theme with humor and detail. . . The results are terrific.

The handsome watercolor-and-ink illustrations are as gently funny as the story.

Lively illustrations amplify the story's slapstick humor and will easily entertain story hour crowds.

McElligott is a triple threat: a sturdy storyteller, a stylish draftsman and a thoughtful wit who makes math funny.

Delightfully deadpan . . . a good candidate for the stack of battered bedtime favorites.

McElligott populates his book with cheery, if toothy and hairy, creatures and fills the seemingly ordinary barbershop with kid-pleasing details. . . full of crowd appeal.

A tasty treat sure to please.

Readers will delight in the parade of rainbow-hued, tentacled aliens . . . Inky nocturnal backgrounds provide an excellent contrast to the glowing cast of spooky-silly creatures, and the twist ending ought to provoke giggles.

Whimsical pairing of creatures and snacks . . . proves especially rib-tickling.