The Wolves Are Back
Written by Jeanne Craighead George; Illustrated by Wendell Minor

In this informative book, Jeanne Craighead George details how the Yellowstone National Park ecosystem is restored to a healthy balance with the reintroduction of grey wolves. Drawing from historical events, George tells about the eradication of wolves from the park and their reintroduction in the 1990's. Through Wendell Minor's incredible illustrations and George's lyrical prose, the reader learns how the presence of the wolves affects the existing animal populations and allows for other species of wildlife and plants to return to their natural habitat.

Biographical Sketches:
Jeanne Craighead George is perhaps best known for her Newbery Award winning novel, "Julie of the Wolves" or her classic, "My Side of the Mountain," which won a Newbery Honor. Over the course of her lengthy career George has become a prolific author, with over 100 published books, and a staunch advocate for the environment. George began her career in the 1940's as a nature journalist, and began writing children's literature in the 1950's. Jeanne's love of animals and wildlife has extended into her personal life, too: she is an avid outdoorswoman and rescuer of wild animals.

Wendell Minor has illustrated the covers of over 2,000 books. While he has illustrated many books for adults, he says that the work he feels closest to is his illustrations for children's books. His artwork is featured on books for such authors as Charlotte Zotolow, Eve Bunting, Robert Burleigh and Amy Ehrlich.  He draws his inspiration from his love of nature, particularly the American landscape. Minor lives in rural Connecticut with his wife and two cats.

Suggested Activities:

  1. Draw a food web of the creatures mentioned in the books to create a food web model of the ecology of Yellowstone.
  2. Research the controversy over the wolves in Yellowstone. Discuss bias and point of view in literature.
  3. Use nature as an inspiration! Go out into a natural setting and write or draw about what you observe using all of your senses. Try to set a story or poem in that setting.
  4. Learn about Yellowstone National Park and all of its wildlife. Have the students make postcards from Yellowstone and tell about what they might see on a trip to the park.
  5. Read about wolves using nonfiction books or the web and then compare them to how wolves are depicted in folktales and fairytales. Discuss whether these stories reflect the true nature of wolves and how they affect people's perceptions. Students could draw pictures of the wolves in fairy tales and the wolves in nature.
  6. Visit the International Wolf Center Wild Kids page: http://www.wolf.org/wolves/learn/justkids/kids.asp. There are some fun activities and crafts kids can do to learn more about wolves.
  7. Both Jeanne Craighead George and Wendell Minor are well-known and prolific. Either would make a good subject for an author/illustrator study.
  8. Read Buffalo Music by Tracey E. Fern as a companion book to The Wolves Are Back. This book tells the true story of Mary Ann Goodnight, who led the movement to reintegrate buffalo herds to Yellowstone National Park.

Companion Books:
Fern, Tracey E.  Buffalo Music.  Illustrated by Lauren Castillo. Clarion Books, 2008.
Galdone, Paul.  Little Red Riding Hood.  McGraw-Hill, 1974.
Galdone, Paul.  The Three Little Pigs.  Clarion Books, 2006.
Gravett, Emily.  Wolves.  Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2006.
Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw.  When the Wolves Returned:  Restoring Nature’s Balance in Yellowstone.  Illustrated by Dan Hartman.  Walker Books, 2008.
Scieszka, John.  The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. Puffin Books, 1992.

Books Written by Jeanne Craighead George and Illustrated by Wendell Minor:
Everglades. HarperCollins, 1995.
Fire Storm. Katherine Tegen Books, 2003.
Morning, Noon, and Night. HarperCollins., 1999.
Snow Bear. Hyperion Books for Children, 1999.
Snowboard Twist. Katherine Tegen Books, 2004.

Books Written by Jeanne Craighead George:
Autumn Moon. HarperCollins. 2001.
How to Talk to Your Cat. Illustrated by Paul Meisel.  HarperCollins, 2000.
Julie of the Wolves. Illustrated by John Schoenherr.  Harper & Row, 1972.
The Moon of the Bears. Illustrated by Ron Parker.  HarperCollins, 1993.
My Side of the Mountain. Dutton Children's Books, 1959.
On the Far Side of the Mountain. Dutton Children's Books, 1990.

Websites:
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Animals/CreatureFeature/Graywolf    National Geographic Creature Feature Gray Wolves
http://www.wolf.org/wolves/learn/justkids/kids.asp   International Wolf Center: Wild Kids--Activities
http://www.nps.gov/yell/forkids/index.htm  Yellowstone National Park Kids Page
http://www.minorart.com/child/childframeset.htm   Wendell Minor’s website
http://www.jeancraigheadgeorge.com/   Jeanne Craighead George’s website