This Wolf Wrote a Book: Officer Brian Wolf wrote the book “There’s a Wolf in my School” to humanize police officers and educate children about their role in society

“Do you sleep at the police station?”

“Have you ever shot anybody?”

“All police officers are bald, so why aren’t you?”

Elementary students had a seemingly endless flow of questions for former Drug Abuse Resistance Education teacher and Officer Brian Wolf anytime he was presenting about avoiding peer pressure and alcoholism. Some were more related to the lesson than others.

After seven years in the program — inspired by the kids’ curiosity and urging from family members to write about his DARE experiences — Wolf wrote the children’s book “There’s a Wolf in My School,” which was published in November 2023. 

“When I’m with friends and family I think of something funny that happened with the kids,” Wolf said. “So I tell the story, and they kept saying, “Oh, you need to write a book about all the stuff that happened.”

Unlike most children’s books, his 26-page picture book doesn’t feature an overarching lesson about sharing or kindness. Instead, Wolf told stories that humanize the police force to help kids have a sense of familiarity with police officers instead of being scared of them. 

“[Kids] couldn’t fathom that we’re people like [their] mom and dad,” Wolf said. 

While teaching DARE, Wolf would stray away from the stereotypical PowerPoints and instead opt for stories of personal experiences as a patrol officer and showing students handcuffs and e-cigarettes. He believes his more hands-on approach to the program resonates with the students more than just being talked at.

“When you look at a screen and it’s just words on there, it doesn’t sink in,” Wolf said. “Whereas if you tell a story and you can explain something that goes along with the lesson you’re teaching, it’s more impactful.”

When Wolf finally began writing his book around two years ago, it took him four or five months to complete the first step of compiling his favorite memories, from being a lunchroom celebrity to visiting students’ lemonade stands in the summer. After the story was finished, Wolf teamed up with local graphic designer and artist Ali Hombs to bring his vision onto the page. 

Hombs has illustrated multiple children’s books like “Sassie’s New Home” by children’s book author Erin Albright. When asked to illustrate Wolf’s book, she was eager to spread the humanization of police officers to kids. 

“One of the reasons I collaborated with [Wolf] on this book was because I felt the importance of [our] children feeling comfortable coming up to police officers when they need help or guidance,” Hombs said. 

After brainstorming character design and re-draws, Wolf presented the finished book to a focus group including city administrators, local elementary principals and parents and grandparents of elementary school students. The members — who’d seen him do some of the things mentioned in the book — added small details and interactions between Wolf and the kids, to further humanize him.

Briarwood Principal and focus group member Chris Lash believes the book reflects how students idolize Wolf, as the two worked together for five years. Lash witnessed kids huddled around Wolf at recess and lined up to receive a high-five from him in the mornings — almost like he was a celebrity. 

“I don’t think everyone knows all of the different roles a DARE officer can play,” Lash said. “I think [the book] gives really good insight into that.”

While spending lunchtime in elementary cafeterias, the boys were typically cautious around Wolf, but the girls were happy to give him all the gossip as he opened their chip bags and wiped down tables.

“You’d always feel super safe and comfortable when you were around him,” Briarwood alum and junior Morgan Anderson said. “You didn’t see him as a scary police officer.”

Fourth graders from Briarwood would fight over who got to be on Wolf’s home screen — changing it every week after girls from another elementary school changed it to a picture of themselves.

“He was awesome,” Sophomore Sloan Meyer said. “I looked forward to [him coming] every week.”

Through DARE and working at elementary schools, Wolf has formed relationships with families in the Prairie Village area and changed kids’ views on police officers — even to the point where 9/10 of the calls he receives now as a patrol officer are from families he knows. 

“When someone calls a policeman there’s some kind of crisis,” Wolf said. “If they have a familiar face that they know and trust, it puts everyone at ease, things deescalate and we go from there.”

Anderson and Meyer are excited to read his book, and other local police officers in Wolf’s law enforcement Facebook groups have also picked it up. 

“The [police officers] that have seen it, bought the book and then got back in touch with me say ‘this is fantastic,’” Wolf said. “I think DARE officers should buy this book and learn what they need to do.”