While I've never been to Yellowstone, I have visited Alaska's Denali Park and can testify that the artist perfectly captured the vastness and grandeur of our wild places. You feel small in such places and, quite frankly, I'm not sure it isn't a reminder we occasionally need of how tiny we are in the grand scope of nature. Toss in that wolves do roam freely in my general area and this book was a natural for me. It follows a pack of wolves from basically the birth of a litter until they're grown and moving out on their own. Even better, we're also introduced to the flora and fauna as well as the other animals that surround the wolves' range.
It's a beautifully done, well thought out book. The artist has painted the vast beauty of the wolves' home largely in soft pastels, some of which almost seem to glow. Based on the many photos and books of Yellowstone that I've seen, it seems to realistically capture the area as well as the playfulness of the pups. I liked that rather then simply black print on white, the information is nicely arranged in various colorful graphs, boxes, and sidebars throughout. It makes it easy to follow, which simply going straight through the account or randomly flipping about and stopping when something catches your eye and, trust me, there's a lot to see. Readers can enjoy trying to spy whatever other things they can see, ranging from bears to lovely flowers and birds.I also appreciated that rather than toss in a plea not to litter, the author went with "a picture is worth a thousand words" mantra, showing wolf pups playing with a plastic bottle, for instance, with items that have been observed as "wolf toys" ranging from plastic water bottles and cans to human clothing items. I should also note that while it's made clear wolves eat prey, it's handled nicely, without dwelling on it. In fact, it uses that moment to subtly show competition among other animals for food and mentions why bears are such voracious eaters.
Although aimed at independent reading aged children, adults should find this book equally interesting and informative. It would definitely make a lovely gift for animal lovers and a great addition to many teachers' reading/research shelves. The fact that it shows us the full picture, so to speak, covering nearly a year and encompassing other life in the area should make it applicable in different areas. There are some color photos at the end, I should also note, identified with the names rangers/researchers have given that particular wolf and more info on both wolves and ways children can help protect them. There's a map that identifies wolves' general ranges, too. Thanks #StoreyPublishing and #NetGalley for allowing me this early peek at a lovely book focused on an animal that fills me with awe. That said, I had to chuckle this afternoon when, while walking, my not-so-wolfish (though she had a cute howl as a pup) corgi mix demonstrated scent marking for me. Grin.
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