What do you think?
Rate this book
Face to Face with Wolves
The Arctic wolf inches towards you. Like you, he is torn between fear and curiosity. His instinct leads him towards the scent of your leather boots. Your instinct is to reach out to this curious white canine. Suddenly, he snarls, and you’re face to face with a wild animal. For years, photographer Jim Brandenburg has observed lone wolves by moonlight, Arctic wolves leaping onto ice floes, and wolves hunting and foraging for food. Packs of gray wolves surround his house in Minnesota. Let him lead you on an intimate journey through their mysterious world, making a persuasive case for the protection of this threatened species, and showing how wolves and humans can live together.
32 pages, Paperback
First published May 13, 2008
About the author
Jim Brandenburg
34 books12 followersJim Brandenburg was an environmentalist and nature photographer and filmmaker based near Ely, Minnesota. His career included over 10 years as a newspaper photojournalist, over 30 years as a contract photographer for the National Geographic Society, and commissions from such groups as the United States Postal Service, NHK and the BBC.
Jim Brandenburg was a Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers.
Jim Brandenburg was a Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 30, 2014
“Face to face with Wolves” is actually a booklet rather than a book (29 pages with very big type, big margins, plenty of space, photos and other visuals). It gives a good visual impression, and the photographs are amazing (What else can you expect from wildlife photographer Jim Brandenburg?)
It is also a warm and charming story about Brandeburg’s personal history with wolves.
The booklet’s weakness is the quality of its factual information – it seems sloppily researched. It is in several places factually inaccurate or misleading, and seems to build on Brandenburg’s personal gut feelings and interpretations based on old stereotypes, rather than up to date wolf science.
Ironically, one of the world’s most renowned wolf scientists – David Mech – was Brandenburg’s team mate while he lived with the Ellesmere island wolf pack. Mech subsequently wrote several books and other literature about his observations of the pack over 10 years, and his studies were been ground breaking in changing the understanding of wolves’ natural family structure. Mech has since denounced the traditional alpha beta omega jargon as mainly irrelevant/misleading when describing the dynamics of wolf packs (families) in the wild. Yet Brandenburg promotes precisely that jargon and its associated stereotypes in his book along with other outmoded misconceptions, despite this book being published in 2008 where plenty of modern wolf research was available.
In conclusion: while he photos are fantastic, the book fails at its purpose, which is, I suppose, to educate about wolves to those new to the world of wolves. The book’s “fact booklet” format combined with the poor quality of its facts is why I give the book a two star rating despite its great visual quality.
It is also a warm and charming story about Brandeburg’s personal history with wolves.
The booklet’s weakness is the quality of its factual information – it seems sloppily researched. It is in several places factually inaccurate or misleading, and seems to build on Brandenburg’s personal gut feelings and interpretations based on old stereotypes, rather than up to date wolf science.
Ironically, one of the world’s most renowned wolf scientists – David Mech – was Brandenburg’s team mate while he lived with the Ellesmere island wolf pack. Mech subsequently wrote several books and other literature about his observations of the pack over 10 years, and his studies were been ground breaking in changing the understanding of wolves’ natural family structure. Mech has since denounced the traditional alpha beta omega jargon as mainly irrelevant/misleading when describing the dynamics of wolf packs (families) in the wild. Yet Brandenburg promotes precisely that jargon and its associated stereotypes in his book along with other outmoded misconceptions, despite this book being published in 2008 where plenty of modern wolf research was available.
In conclusion: while he photos are fantastic, the book fails at its purpose, which is, I suppose, to educate about wolves to those new to the world of wolves. The book’s “fact booklet” format combined with the poor quality of its facts is why I give the book a two star rating despite its great visual quality.
March 6, 2018
Gorgeous photographs bring readers “face to face” with the majestic wolf.
August 4, 2009
Professional nature photographer Jim Brandenburg and his wife, Judy, have spent years living among the wolves of North America, studying and photographing them in their natural habitat. Their beautiful work is featured here alongside stories of their personal experiences with wolves. Much factual information about wolves’ range, diet, social interaction and pack behavior, and conservation issues is included. A section entitled, “How You Can Help” encourages students to get involved in wildlife conservation. There is enough information here for a solid start to elementary student research projects, and the bibliography provides additional resources. This outstanding series from National Geographic deserves a shelf in every upper-elementary library.
December 15, 2015
Plot summary: Most children love reading nonfiction books around the theme of science or social studies. This book provides a lot of information about wolves. The book is broken up into four small sections that focus on different aspects about wolves.
Reader Response/ Classroom Connections: One way you could use this book for student responses is with technology/higher-order thinking strategies. Have the students create a chart of some sort that compares and contrast the different species of wolves that are found either in the world or a specific country. Another way you could have the students respond to the book is through creative arts. Have the students draw a wolf and the habitat that the type of wolf would live in. (Example: Artic wolf, Grey wolf, Red wolf, etc...)
Reader Response/ Classroom Connections: One way you could use this book for student responses is with technology/higher-order thinking strategies. Have the students create a chart of some sort that compares and contrast the different species of wolves that are found either in the world or a specific country. Another way you could have the students respond to the book is through creative arts. Have the students draw a wolf and the habitat that the type of wolf would live in. (Example: Artic wolf, Grey wolf, Red wolf, etc...)
November 12, 2012
Beautiful real-life pictures, great information about wolves. Could be a little more in-depth but there are great sources in the back for more info, including some great web sites. Though a tad preachy about conservationism and protecting wolves, this is an overall top-notch book.
August 12, 2016
I'd have this book in my non-fiction class library section. It would be a good source book for any student studying wolves. It's also a good read in conjunction with studies about the food chain and animal endangerment and protection.
October 16, 2014
Another nice entry in the "Face to Face" series. Conversational and informative but it's the photos that inspire the wow. The narrative is followed by a two-page spread with additional facts for reports.
May 3, 2016
Amazing. Save the wolves!
May 14, 2016
Beautiful pictures.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews