The wounded wolf

by Jean Craighead George

As hungry animals close in on an injured wolf, hoping to feed on him after death, help arrives to change the odds.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Jean Craighead George wrote over eighty popular books for young adults, including the Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves and the Newbery Honor book My Side of the Mountain. Most of her books deal with topics related to the environment and the natural world. While she mostly wrote children's fiction, she also wrote at least two guides to cooking with wild foods, and an autobiography, Journey Inward.

The mother of three children, (Twig C. George, Craig, and T. Luke George) Jean George was a grandmother who joyfully read to her grandchildren since the time they were born. Over the years Jean George kept one hundred and seventy-three pets, not including dogs and cats, in her home in Chappaqua, New York. "Most of these wild animals depart in autumn when the sun changes their behaviour and they feel the urge to migrate or go off alone. While they are with us, however, they become characters in my books, articles, and stories."

Reviews

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

My introduction to this author was through the Julie of the Wolves series and so I was actually really happy to see this book when I came upon it in our used bookstore. Given the fact that Jean Craighead George had written supplmentals to the series such as those books with Nutik I was trying to figure out if The Wounded Wolf was related to this same series or if it was actually a book on its own.

The best answer is that it is a bit of both although technically at the same time no. The reason why I said it is both is that the tone and illustration style have remained the same as those in the series so in a sense a fan of the series could possibly just write this off as being a book about a neighboring pack as we know so little about those wolves. Otherwise the book does work as the standalone book that it is without any further ties to other works.

The story itself is short, quick and of course being a nature story is a bit on the dark side. The reader is introduced to a young wolf whose time on a pack hunt has just changed him from predator to prey. Without his pack to watch over him in his wounded state the reader joins the procession of hungry Arctic animals who prepare themselves for a wintry feast. Will the young wolf's pack find him or will he be resigned to his fate?

The book is most definitely a picture book and includes very detailed sketch drawings of the animals that the reader meets. As such not only is the reader watching nature unfold on its own but getting introduced to the very malleable food chain in a harsh environment.

Most definitely a great book to either introduce children to Jean Craighead George, to start a science study of the animals of the Arctic or even to showcase to children just how delicate the food chain can really be, especially in very harsh ecosystems.

[Nincy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Zamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really like this book

[Marna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations! I got my copy of this book when the author visited our school (Point Higgins Elementary! And yes, she brought some of the animals with her - the crow and the owl).

[Lulu Torres]

I didn't even get to read it this site is soooo confusing!!!!