WOLVES!

Pringle continues his Strange and Wonderful series with an appreciation of wolves.

Nearly 40 years ago, Pringle published Wolfman (1983), a “career biography” of L. David Mech, a wildlife biologist who had, at the time, been studying wolves for 25 years. Here, the prolific science writer writes about the wolves themselves, dedicating his book to Mech, still a working scientist, who vetted both text and illustrations. Skillfully, the author draws young readers in by inviting them to howl like wolves. He then proceeds to distinguish different species, explain how they are like and different from dogs, and explore their physical and social attributes and behaviors. Finally, he considers human attitudes toward wolves throughout history and celebrates the more recent protections that have restored wolves to some of their one-time habitats. Though not long, the text is relatively dense and informative, set directly on Henderson’s appealing watercolor and pencil illustrations. These range from scenes of wolves hunting to family close-ups to a clearly labeled diagram of a wolf’s skull, emphasizing the teeth that make them such powerful carnivores. The few pictured humans are racially diverse; also pictured are wolf-related objects from various cultures throughout history. Bolded words are defined in context and in an appended glossary. Print and internet resources and an index add to the utility of this introduction. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A welcome addition to the author’s extensive nature shelf.