Ages 6 to 12 years. Persecution of the wolf in Europe and North America almost led to the extinction of the species in the twentieth century. Today, the beauty and mystique of wolves has created a new wave of support for these animals. Beautiful photographs and informative text help children discover: the life cycle of a wolf; wolf bodies; a pack's need for territory and prey; the dangers of habitat loss; preserves, national parks, and other places where wolves are protected.

Reviews

Gr 3-5-These basic introductions offer well-designed and interesting overviews of three endangered animals. Each volume includes information about habitat, behavior, life cycle, communication, and other topics useful for reports. Threats to survival, particularly from habitat loss, and conservation efforts also receive attention. Photographs and diagrams provide additional detail, but there are no maps pinpointing where the animals live. Some overlap of illustrations and content exists with Kalman and Amanda Bishop's The Life Cycle of a Wolf (Crabtree, 2002), and Mary K. Dornhoffer and Robert F. Scherrer's Wolves (Compass Point, 2004) provides similar coverage. Deborah Dennard's Gorillas (NorthWord, 2003) goes into more depth for somewhat older readers while Seymour Simon's Gorillas (HarperCollins, 2000) uses a more narrative approach. Kalman provides helpful resources for those beginning their search for material for reports or to satisfy personal curiosity.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.