A worthy introduction to wolf conservation that honors its subject’s complexity without shying from harsh realities.
A well-crafted chronicle of Yellowstone’s legendary alpha female wolf.
McIntyre, a retired National Park Service ranger with over 100,000 wolf sightings, collaborates with award-winning Canadian author Poulsen in this third installment of the series. Focusing on the remarkable 06 Female and her daughter 926, the narrative skillfully balances educational content with dramatic storytelling, following 06 from her arrival in Lamar Valley (located in the northeast section of Yellowstone) through her establishment of a successful pack, her brilliant hunting strategies, and ultimately an ending that may upset more sensitive readers. Some may find the authors’ anthropomorphizing—inferring wolves’ thoughts and emotions—intrusive at times; however, the ideas remain grounded in decades of behavioral observation. McIntyre’s intimate knowledge shines in detailed pack dynamics: dominance displays, hunting coordination, and the alpha female’s critical leadership role. The prose is accessible yet respectful of young readers’ intelligence, avoiding condescension while tackling difficult themes of human–wildlife conflict and legal wolf hunting. Family trees helpfully track lineages across generations. Detailed, realistic black-and-white illustrations add visual interest without overwhelming the text.
A worthy introduction to wolf conservation that honors its subject’s complexity without shying from harsh realities. (Nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: April 21, 2026
ISBN: 9781778401954
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Greystone Kids
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
“In 1875 there were perhaps fifty million of them. Just twenty-five years later nearly every one of them was gone.” The author of many nonfiction books for young people (Bridges; Truck; Giants of the Highways, etc.) tells the story of the American bison, from prehistory, when Bison latifrons walked North America along with the dinosaurs, to the recent past when the Sioux and other plains Indians hunted the familiar bison. Robbins uses historic photographs, etchings, and paintings to show their sad history. To the Native Americans of the plains, the buffalo was central to their way of life. Arriving Europeans, however, hunted for sport, slaughtering thousands for their hides, or to clear the land for the railroad, or farmers. One telling photo shows a man atop a mountain of buffalo skulls. At the very last moment, enough individuals “came to their senses,” and worked to protect the remaining few. Thanks to their efforts, this animal is no longer endangered, but the author sounds a somber note as he concludes: “the millions are gone, and they will never come back.” A familiar story, well-told, and enhanced by the many well-chosen period photographs. (photo credits) (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83025-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2000
Here is an adventure in a unique setting. The lively text and lovely watercolors document three and a half months of a summer the artist and author spent at the South Pole, as part of the National Science Foundation Antarctic Artists & Writers Program. Hooper describes everyday life aboard the research ship Laurence M. Gould, a sturdy orange icebreaker that scientists use to travel between the islands to study the wide variety of animals who come each year to breed and raise their young. An assortment of penguins, elephant seals, giant petrels, huge skuas, and leopard seals hold center stage. Scientists are less important than the serious business of successfully raising young in the short summer season. The author captures the drama of the ice-cold ocean, alive with life: “Swarms of barrel-shaped blue-tinged salps, stuck together in floating chains. Minute creatures with red eyes. Sliding through the water in a curving path like a ribbon.” The artist provides striking paintings of the landscape and the animals in soft washy colors, and quick pencil sketches. The ice is lemon gold with mauve shadows, and the sea a silver gray in the 24-hour day. Animals are expressive and individual. The krill, the tiny shrimp-like creatures that form the backbone of the ocean food chain, appear in luminous glory. The author concludes with a page on global warming, a map of the islands visited, and an index. From cover to cover a personal and informative journey. (Nonfiction. 7-12)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-7922-7188-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: National Geographic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2000
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