The University of West Georgia’s larger-than-life mascot, Wolfie, has teamed up with some of his closest colleagues to share his origin story with UWG’s youngest fans.

The highly anticipated children’s book, “Wolfie Finds His Howl,” releases today as UWG kicks off Homecoming week. 

“We hope young readers enjoy this story of Wolfie’s growth from a timid pup to the enthusiastic, charismatic UWG mascot he is today,” said UWG First Lady Dr. Tressa Kelly, who inspired the book’s conception and spearheaded the project. “More than that, though, I hope it inspires them to dream about what college they will one day attend and how that decision will impact the rest of their lives.”

Kelly added that 100 percent of the book’s proceeds will support student scholarships at UWG.

“All proceeds of ‘Wolfie Finds His Howl’ will go directly into the UWG scholarship fund so that generations of Wolves – maybe even the young readers who enjoy this book – will benefit from the educational experience that UWG provides,” she said.

The tale takes a whimsical look at what happened when young Wolfie visited the university on a school field trip. Through his adventures – and a couple of friendly students he meets along the way – he finds out what it really means to be a Wolf.

With beautiful, full-colored illustrations, “Wolfie Finds His Howl” is the perfect book to introduce children to campus while providing familiar sights to more than 73,000 alumni and 13,000 students.

The book is entirely a product of the university, completed internally to maximize proceeds and elevate the talents of the university’s staff.

“As the daughter of an exceptional early childhood educator, I know firsthand the importance of childhood literacy in our community,” Kelly said. “I am so proud of the team of people who worked on this project to capture the essence of UWG through the eyes of a child and, in turn, strengthen the sense of belonging and connectedness among all our stakeholders.”

You can order “Wolfie Finds His Howl” through the UWG Bookstore today. Customization is also available.

A book release event will coincide with Homecoming and UWG Alumni Association’s tailgating event on Saturday, Oct. 23, from 2-6 p.m.