Review by Booklist Review
When wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in the mid-1990s, their return heralded a successive chain of small changes that, collectively, helped transform the landscape and ecosystem of the park for the better. Godkin zeroes in on these small transformations by gracefully relaying the tight interweaving of the food chain. When a herd of elk hear the wolves howl, they move to higher, tree-filled regions, which allows the plants the elk fed on to flourish in their absence. That change ushers in more changes in plants, animals, and insects, which ultimately alter the very nature of the streams and rivers in the region. Tranquil wildlife scenes in soft, naturalistic colors are full of meticulous details and capture the majestic beauty of the iconic park, which teems with life. The clear, matter-of-fact text is a lovely complement to the warm scenes, which include vistas, underwater habitats, and close-ups. Additional information about the history of the park and the importance of the wolves to the ecosystem closes this lovingly illustrated, educational volume.--Lock, Anita Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Godkin (Skydiver: Saving the Fastest Bird in the World) eloquently examines how the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park led to dramatic changes both in the landscape of the park and in the lives of the creatures that make their home there. "On a moonlit night, a howl rings out across the river valley," startling elk who "have not heard this sound before." The wolves' predation drives the elk to the shelter of forested slopes, which allows trees and berry bushes to grow in the valley, feeding birds and bears, and giving beavers material to build dams. This, in turn, creates ponds that provide habitats for muskrats, ducks, and insects, among other developments. Godkin's text focuses on the interconnectedness of the animals' environment and how one ostensibly small change can have dramatic effects over time. Although the author emphasizes the necessary role that predators play, her mixed-media artwork avoids goriness, instead focusing on delicate textures of fur, feather, leaf, and grass. The hunts that removed wolves from the landscape in the first place (and their 1995 reintroduction) are covered in thorough back matter. Ages 6-9. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-For many decades, wolves were absent from Yellowstone National Park. About 20 years ago, captured wolves from Canada were reintroduced into the park by environmentalists. They have since prospered and, most important, have influenced the ecology of the park for the better. This work chronicles the many changes to the environment since the animals' return. Because wolves have winnowed out some of the elk and driven them further into the mountains, trees and berry bushes have been given a chance to grow and river banks have become more stable. Beautifully illustrated by the author in watercolor and color pencil, each spread brims with the diversity of animals, plants, and insects presently thriving in Yellowstone. Young ones will enjoy the positive takeaway, and the picture book format makes a complex story accessible and usable in a wide range of early education classes. VERDICT Valuable for children for its affirming environmental message and to counteract the "big bad wolf" image of these necessary predators.-Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, formerly at Trinity-Pawling School, Pawling, NY © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
