“Beautifully illustrated, this book shows the lingering effects and the impact that animals a the top of the food chain have on the environment….See also Jean Craighead George’s The Wolves Are Back (2008).”
Read the full review on page 11 of the April 2018 issue of Book Links
“In words and pictures, Celia Godkin documents the positive effects of the introduction of this predator on the entire ecosystem including, surprisingly, the elk population. By demonstrating the complexity of seemingly simple problems and apparently simple solutions, this clear explanation of cause and effect relationships will encourage its 6-to-9 year old audience to think critically about humanity’s interventions in the environment.”
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“Celia Godkin does a truly admirable job of presenting the [Yellowstone Park] project in terms children will understand. The language is clear, the telling is positive and brings awareness for the remarkable results….
Those changes are portrayed in detailed mixed media artwork. The double page spreads clearly show the park and its dramatic change – all through the introduction of the gray wolf. The settings beautifully display the grandeur of the park, and the interdependence of the species living there. Don’t miss having a close look at the endpapers. The illustrations there may result in further research for interested children.
Written for a younger audience, it will have impact for older readers as well. While much is learned about biodiversity and the environment, it is presented in a most appealing format. Never did I feel that it was written to teach me something. It is simply a story of life in a very special environment.”
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“This could be complicated subject matter for younger audiences to assimilate, but Celia Godkin, acclaimed environmental writer and illustrator for children, has presented the material persuasively in clear, direct language. From the initial release of the wolves, it is systematically shown how one change in the ecosystem leads to the next, leaving readers in awe of the fascinating chain of life and fragile balance of nature.
The text is enhanced by compelling, vivid illustrations. Thirteen double-page spreads reveal different habitats within the park, such as woodland and ponds, each populated by various new species of wildlife….There is also a two-page summary explaining the wolves’ extinction in the United States and a brief explanation of the project.
Aimed at young children, adults and older children will also find wonder and a salutary message in this handsome book that prompts much thought on the complexity and resilience of nature.”
—Aileen Wortley
Read the full review on page 23 in the Summer 2017 issue of Canadian Children’s BookNews
“We rated this book: [4.5/5]…
I loved The Wolves Return. I visited Yellowstone a few years ago and got to see all different kinds wildlife: black bears, grizzlies, bison, eagles, foxes, and elk. I think it was a good idea for Canada to give some wolves to Yellowstone or they wouldn’t have wolves to balance the elk herds. I loved the illustrations because they looked so real and had a lot of details. The author is also the illustrator. I would like to read other books by this author.”
—Jewel – Age 9
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“With an engaging, accessible text and expressive mixed-media illustrations, Godkin tells the environmental success story of the reintroduction of the grey wolf to Yellowstone National Park….An endnote, ‘The Wolf in North America,’ provides history of the wolf and a map of the pre-European and current North American wolf range.”
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“[T]he complex, interactive webs which rely on biodiversity are critical to a healthy planet and to our health as humans….
By hunting [grey] wolves to the point of near-extinction settlers unwittingly disturbed the timeworn balance that had allowed all sorts of plants, animals and waterways to flourish. This lovely book shows how each piece began to be renewed as wolves were re-introduced to Yellowstone beginning in 1995.
Each turn of the page shows another glory of nature able to perform again its vivid song, as the positive, un-domino effect takes place. What a hopeful, gladsome journey! Share this with children ages 4 and up.”
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“The Wolves Return is the true story of the successful release of twenty-three Canadian gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park in 1995-96….The Wolves Return explains in picture and in narrative how the reintroduction of the wolves, a natural predator of the elk, impacted positively on the whole environment….The Wolves Return ends with a map of North America with wolf ranges, both current and pre-European habitat patterns. It is clear that wolves play a vital role in maintaining the health, variety, and balance of many life systems and plant and animal species in nature. The mixed media art work in The Wolves Return is especially sensitively done and greatly enhances the exciting environmental health restoration true story.”
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“Celia Godkin relays the awe-inspiring true story of the release of 23 Canadian gray wolves into Yellowstone National Park in 1995 and 1996….
Since the time of the release, the wolves thrived and the process created beneficial changes to the park’s ecosystem….
The illustrations are beautifully done in pencil crayon and watercolour….[Godkin’s] telling of this true environmental success story is well told and inspirational. It is important to relay such stories. The end of the book has the fascinating history of the wolf in North America with a map.
Thematic Links: Wolves; Yellowstone National Park; Yellowstone Wolf Project; Gray Wolves; Ecosystem”
—Isobel Lang
Read the full review on page 20 of the April 2017 issue of Resource Links
“The Wolves Return, A New Beginning for Yellowstone National Park by Celia Godkin is a beautiful book…It was fascinating to read about how much the area changed, both in diversity of the creatures…to the health of the animals that always lived there.”
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