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The Wolves Are Back
Two renowned children’s book creators teamed up to make this stirring picture book that tells the story of how, over a century, wolves were persecuted in the United States and nearly became extinct. Gradually reintroduced, they are thriving again in the West, much to the benefit of the ecosystem. This book will teach a new generation to appreciate the grace, dignity, and value of wolves as it promotes awareness of the environment’s delicate balance. Paired with gorgeous paintings by landscape artist Wendell Minor, Jean Craighead George’s engaging text will inspire people of all ages to care about the protection of endangered species.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published April 17, 2008
2 people are currently reading
494 people want to read
About the author
Jean Craighead George
204 books1,507 followersJean 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."
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."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
September 5, 2019
Jean Craighead George - author of the Newbery Medal winning
Julie of the Wolves
, and the Newbery Honor Book
My Side of the Mountain
- delivers an immensely engaging non-fiction picture-book with The Wolves Are Back, one which manages to be both educational and endearing. A celebration of the return of the wolf to Yellowstone National Park, after a long absence brought on by extermination campaigns that culminated in 1926, this book emphasizes, time and again, the environmental benefits of returning a predator species to its natural habitat. It is a question, as the narrative makes plain again and again, of balance.
As a confirmed wolf-lover, I was pretty much guaranteed to love this book, which portrays wolves in a realistic, non-romantic way, thoroughly debunking any idea that their role is a harmful, or even "evil" one. In clear, simple prose, George highlights the many species that benefit from the wolves' presence - and it's not always the ones you might think, as witnessed by the reappearance of a number of bird species long since departed from the region - while Wendell Minor brilliantly captures the beauty and power of these marvelous animals in his lovely artwork. If I have one complaint, about The Wolves Are Back, it is that there isn't any kind of afterword, with further information (something I've unconsciously started to expect, with picture-book non-fiction), but leaving that aside, this is just a superbly educational book, one I recommend to all young wolf lovers, and to any children interested in the complex interaction of various species in an ecosystem.
As a confirmed wolf-lover, I was pretty much guaranteed to love this book, which portrays wolves in a realistic, non-romantic way, thoroughly debunking any idea that their role is a harmful, or even "evil" one. In clear, simple prose, George highlights the many species that benefit from the wolves' presence - and it's not always the ones you might think, as witnessed by the reappearance of a number of bird species long since departed from the region - while Wendell Minor brilliantly captures the beauty and power of these marvelous animals in his lovely artwork. If I have one complaint, about The Wolves Are Back, it is that there isn't any kind of afterword, with further information (something I've unconsciously started to expect, with picture-book non-fiction), but leaving that aside, this is just a superbly educational book, one I recommend to all young wolf lovers, and to any children interested in the complex interaction of various species in an ecosystem.
January 18, 2011
I adore wolves. Ever since I read Never Cry Wolf in the summer of 1976, a book I still own, a book given to me by a friend when I was in a rough patch, I have been enthralled by this species, and I’ve adored domestic dogs my entire life.
So, I despise fairy tales where wolves are the villains (even though I know the very real circumstances from which that theme emerged) and I’m delighted to read books the positive sides of wolves. I think it’s appalling the massive hunting that was done that brought certain types of wolves to near extinction and was heartened when they were reintroduced to Yelllowstone National Park in the U.S. So, I was very interested in reading this book.
It’s a more impressive book than I’d imagined; it definitely exceeded my expectations. It’s at heart a practical book. It’s not a sentimental book at all. The non-fiction story tells about the entire ecology, the consequences of the wolves being gone (a negative for the ecosystem in many ways) vs. the wolves being back (which leads to the ecosystem flourishing for many species of animals & plants.)
As an adult I loved it. As a child I think I might have been fascinated, but I know I’d have also been disturbed. I’d have been a more than a bit upset to learn about the eradication of wolves from the lower 48 states and I’d have been a tad squeamish seeing the blood around the wolves’ kill. But, I would have loved it anyway.
This is a one sided book. It doesn’t address complaints about the wolves’ reintroduction.
There is no extensive author’s note, as there are in many similar books, though there is a list of sources used by the illustrator in the back of the book. The entire account is within in the book proper and in the inside front cover book description section.
The illustrations are beautiful. Children who are interested in wolves, as well as a variety of species of fauna, and flora too, are likely to thoroughly enjoy them.
Edited to add: The refrain at the bottom of most pages of either "The Wolves were back." or "The Wolves were gone." help make this a good read aloud book.
So, I despise fairy tales where wolves are the villains (even though I know the very real circumstances from which that theme emerged) and I’m delighted to read books the positive sides of wolves. I think it’s appalling the massive hunting that was done that brought certain types of wolves to near extinction and was heartened when they were reintroduced to Yelllowstone National Park in the U.S. So, I was very interested in reading this book.
It’s a more impressive book than I’d imagined; it definitely exceeded my expectations. It’s at heart a practical book. It’s not a sentimental book at all. The non-fiction story tells about the entire ecology, the consequences of the wolves being gone (a negative for the ecosystem in many ways) vs. the wolves being back (which leads to the ecosystem flourishing for many species of animals & plants.)
As an adult I loved it. As a child I think I might have been fascinated, but I know I’d have also been disturbed. I’d have been a more than a bit upset to learn about the eradication of wolves from the lower 48 states and I’d have been a tad squeamish seeing the blood around the wolves’ kill. But, I would have loved it anyway.
This is a one sided book. It doesn’t address complaints about the wolves’ reintroduction.
There is no extensive author’s note, as there are in many similar books, though there is a list of sources used by the illustrator in the back of the book. The entire account is within in the book proper and in the inside front cover book description section.
The illustrations are beautiful. Children who are interested in wolves, as well as a variety of species of fauna, and flora too, are likely to thoroughly enjoy them.
Edited to add: The refrain at the bottom of most pages of either "The Wolves were back." or "The Wolves were gone." help make this a good read aloud book.
September 8, 2020
A beautifully written and illustrated book of bringing wolves back into Yellowstone National Park.
By 1926 there were no more wolves in Yellowstone. They had all been shot.
In 1995 the wolves were introduced back into the park. There were ten adult wolves from Canada.
Soon they multiplied and the park was once more in balance.
All animals and plants benefited from the wolves.
By 1926 there were no more wolves in Yellowstone. They had all been shot.
In 1995 the wolves were introduced back into the park. There were ten adult wolves from Canada.
Soon they multiplied and the park was once more in balance.
All animals and plants benefited from the wolves.
April 6, 2023
One of my middle child’s all-time favorites. A gentle instruction to food webs, and the changes that can happen when an apex predator is removed. It’s also a hopeful story of restoration.
March 30, 2009
The illustrations in this book are incredible. It's like looking at a beautiful painting on each page. Wonderful story about wolves and what happened to the wilderness of Yellowstone National Park when the wolves were all gone due to hunters. Explains how the wilderness became unbalanced. When wolves were once again reintroduced to Yellowstone, they flourished and grew and so did the grass, and the flowers and the animals around them. Many beautiful wild animals are featured including birds, bears, beavers, elk, moose, bison, mountain sheep and badgers. Great introduction to environmentalism and illustrates why wolves are so important to the eco-system and why they deserve to be protected just like all endangered species (and all animals in general).
November 15, 2009
This lovely picture storyybook version of the true story of the return of the wolves to Yellowstone Park is told from the perspective of a wolf pup. Each page tells a part of the story on a two-page painting of the natural landscape of Yellowstone. Each page also ends with a refrain: either "The wolves were gone." or "The wolves were back." This book could be enjoyed by all ages, but would be especially helpful in demonstrating to a younger child the value of interdependence among animals for natural balance.
June 4, 2008
This is a beautifully illustrated book and does a great job of showing that all of nature is part of the balance, not just the "pretty" animals. My daughter loves wolves and enjoyed this book as well.
January 30, 2013
this should be in every library, and be given as a gift to kids in 2nd-5th grade.
February 25, 2019
30 January 2008 THE WOLVES ARE BACK by Jean Craighead George, illustrated by Wendell Minor, Dutton, April 2008, 32p. ISBN: 0-525-47947-3
"And as I grew I soon found the wolfpack grow on me
Laser bright feel the lunar light comin' down on me"
-- Paul Kantner, "When I was a Boy I Watched the Wolves"
"The pup watched his father eat. Then he, too, tore off a bite. Two ravens stuffed themselves. A golden eagle carried off food for her eaglets. A grizzly bear sat nearby waiting for the wolves to leave so she could eat in peace. Three magpies snatched quick bites. Mice chewed on calcium-filled antlers. Two sexton beetles buried a piece of meat to eat later. The valley was sharing food again.
"The wolves were back."
I expect that most people -- if told that I spent years in Boy Scouts -- would not be surprised to learn that one of the first merit badges I earned was my Reading merit badge. So it is that I vividly recall reading (and discussing) Jean Craighead George's MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, which had garnered a Newbery Honor back in the days when I was first learning to read. And so it was that I was so excited years ago when upon entering the exhibition hall during the very first morning of my very first American Library Association convention that I encountered Jean Craighead George and Wendell Minor together for a book signing. (That appearance had been for another great book about wolves.)
"Where had they been?
"Shot. Every one.
"Many years ago the directors of the national parks decided that only the gentle animals should grace the beautiful wilderness. Rangers, hunters, and ranchers were told to shoot every wolf they saw. They did. By 1926, there were no more wolves in the forty-eight states. No voices howled. The thrilling chorus of the wilderness was silenced.
"The wolves were gone."
Jean Craighead George was a young girl learning to read as the last of the wolves were shot. She grew up to write about them in her Newbery Medal-winning JULIE OF THE WOLVES and the sequels JULIE and JULIE'S WOLF PACK, all three of which I thoroughly enjoyed reading during my tenure at the bookstore.
THE WOLVES ARE BACK details how ten adult wolves imported from Canada into Yellowstone National Park in 1995 have quickly multiplied into a series of wolf packs and have led in turn to the reestablishment of plant and animal species not seen in Yellowstone in many decades. The wolves drove the bison from the river so that the aspens grew, halting erosion and attracting beavers whose dams formed ponds that attracted waterbirds, fish, and frogs. The wolves thinned out the coyotes, permitting growth of the ground squirrel population which attracted badgers. The wolves also scared the mountain sheep up into the rocky cliffs, leading to the growth of wildflowers in the Valley:
"Flowers filled the valley. Bees and butterflies that fed on the flowers returned. Warblers sang. Hummingbirds brightened the valley. Like pieces in a kaleidoscope, the broken parts of the wilderness were tumbling into place.
"The wolves were back."
I love how what I learned about ecosystems -- going all the way back to my Boy Scout days -- really works! You fix the broken piece in the system and it all begins to function again. And I love the joyousness of this book. Wendell Minor's paintings alternate between portraits of the larger creatures and lush, expansive two-page spreads of the Yellowstone landscape. You repeatedly spy the wolf cub somewhere in each illustration: watching, scampering, howling, sniffing, listening. There is no doubt that Wendell's touch of magic will cause some readers to immediately begin dreaming of visiting Yellowstone and/or dream of having the wolves back in their own neck of the woods.
A significant book for teaching ecosystems, THE WOLVES ARE BACK will also go far in undoing the bad reputation that wolves have had, going all the way back to Aesop.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
"And as I grew I soon found the wolfpack grow on me
Laser bright feel the lunar light comin' down on me"
-- Paul Kantner, "When I was a Boy I Watched the Wolves"
"The pup watched his father eat. Then he, too, tore off a bite. Two ravens stuffed themselves. A golden eagle carried off food for her eaglets. A grizzly bear sat nearby waiting for the wolves to leave so she could eat in peace. Three magpies snatched quick bites. Mice chewed on calcium-filled antlers. Two sexton beetles buried a piece of meat to eat later. The valley was sharing food again.
"The wolves were back."
I expect that most people -- if told that I spent years in Boy Scouts -- would not be surprised to learn that one of the first merit badges I earned was my Reading merit badge. So it is that I vividly recall reading (and discussing) Jean Craighead George's MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, which had garnered a Newbery Honor back in the days when I was first learning to read. And so it was that I was so excited years ago when upon entering the exhibition hall during the very first morning of my very first American Library Association convention that I encountered Jean Craighead George and Wendell Minor together for a book signing. (That appearance had been for another great book about wolves.)
"Where had they been?
"Shot. Every one.
"Many years ago the directors of the national parks decided that only the gentle animals should grace the beautiful wilderness. Rangers, hunters, and ranchers were told to shoot every wolf they saw. They did. By 1926, there were no more wolves in the forty-eight states. No voices howled. The thrilling chorus of the wilderness was silenced.
"The wolves were gone."
Jean Craighead George was a young girl learning to read as the last of the wolves were shot. She grew up to write about them in her Newbery Medal-winning JULIE OF THE WOLVES and the sequels JULIE and JULIE'S WOLF PACK, all three of which I thoroughly enjoyed reading during my tenure at the bookstore.
THE WOLVES ARE BACK details how ten adult wolves imported from Canada into Yellowstone National Park in 1995 have quickly multiplied into a series of wolf packs and have led in turn to the reestablishment of plant and animal species not seen in Yellowstone in many decades. The wolves drove the bison from the river so that the aspens grew, halting erosion and attracting beavers whose dams formed ponds that attracted waterbirds, fish, and frogs. The wolves thinned out the coyotes, permitting growth of the ground squirrel population which attracted badgers. The wolves also scared the mountain sheep up into the rocky cliffs, leading to the growth of wildflowers in the Valley:
"Flowers filled the valley. Bees and butterflies that fed on the flowers returned. Warblers sang. Hummingbirds brightened the valley. Like pieces in a kaleidoscope, the broken parts of the wilderness were tumbling into place.
"The wolves were back."
I love how what I learned about ecosystems -- going all the way back to my Boy Scout days -- really works! You fix the broken piece in the system and it all begins to function again. And I love the joyousness of this book. Wendell Minor's paintings alternate between portraits of the larger creatures and lush, expansive two-page spreads of the Yellowstone landscape. You repeatedly spy the wolf cub somewhere in each illustration: watching, scampering, howling, sniffing, listening. There is no doubt that Wendell's touch of magic will cause some readers to immediately begin dreaming of visiting Yellowstone and/or dream of having the wolves back in their own neck of the woods.
A significant book for teaching ecosystems, THE WOLVES ARE BACK will also go far in undoing the bad reputation that wolves have had, going all the way back to Aesop.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
October 12, 2017
3.5 stars -- Wolves are a keystone species, meaning their presence or absence effects a large swath of the ecosystem. Young readers are shown a wide variety of species of plant and animal (the transitions are more than a bit clunky) and are informed about how these species were helped by the return of wolves to Yellowstone.
While I am happy that the ecosystem of Yellowstone has bounced back to a more natural state thanks to the wolves, I am now of the opinion that capturing wolves in Canada and shipping them to the US was a bad idea. The high-profile nature of the reintroduction made wolves some very deadly and powerful enemies in the political arena, and a powderkeg of wolf hatred was touched off--now subjecting these amazing animals to cruel and extreme methods of hunting and trapping.
Will future generations learn to live with wolves before the animals are (once again) eradicated from the US? Sadly, I am not hopeful.
While I am happy that the ecosystem of Yellowstone has bounced back to a more natural state thanks to the wolves, I am now of the opinion that capturing wolves in Canada and shipping them to the US was a bad idea. The high-profile nature of the reintroduction made wolves some very deadly and powerful enemies in the political arena, and a powderkeg of wolf hatred was touched off--now subjecting these amazing animals to cruel and extreme methods of hunting and trapping.
Will future generations learn to live with wolves before the animals are (once again) eradicated from the US? Sadly, I am not hopeful.
April 5, 2018
This is a great text to use to address the topic of extinction without the all so original dinosaur example. Young children may associate wolves with negativity, and so do I, but after reading this book I have never felt so terrible for a species of animals. The wolves were beautifully illustrated, so realistic! This text instills something in its readers, a care for an endangered species, like the wolves in this story who once where thriving, and then slowly but surely had a shrinking population. Children may be under the impression that animals will never not exist, but if they do not do their part to protect the environment and the animals in them, that in itself will be a lesson learned. A great informational text that can be incorporated into a life science lesson!
May 28, 2023
Minor’s Beautiful paintings paired with George’s distinctive writing about the natural world, make up this story. Readers learn about how wolves were nearly extinct at one point in the United States and were then reintroduced to the environment in Yellowstone and the ecosystem became restored. Some repetitive text reinforces the reason for the restored ecosystem and nature being in harmony once again because of the return of the wolves.
August 26, 2018
Simple and straightforward story. Sure it lives out the continuing conflict between Rangers and Environmentalists. But it captured the facts on the ground in Yellowstone especially as I knew it to be. The art was fairly simple but still beautiful. And it worked well with the fairly spare text. A different way of introducing the idea of the impact animals have on each other and plants as well.
May 25, 2018
This is a beautiful picture book for children that tells the story of the wolves return to Yellowstone National Forest in 1995. It illustrates the importance of balance in nature and how so many things can suffer as a result of one species being missing.
November 30, 2020
The return of wolves to the Yellowstone ecosystem righted the unsettled balance that had begun with their hunting and removal. This beautifully illustrated book details the importance of wolves in a succinct yet moving way.
January 13, 2021
Yes, yes YES! Wonderful and important story about saving Yellowstone, told for kids. Love this and love those who fought to bring back balance in my favorite national park. Well told and beautifully illustrated.
August 21, 2017
Super cute book that teaches children the importance of natures ecosystem and the effects humans can have on it.
February 8, 2019
Not my favorite book ever, but a good introduction to what happened to the wolves in Yellowstone National Park and how they came back.
August 14, 2019
This would be a great way to teach ecology!
October 4, 2019
The author did a good job of explaining very simply some of the effects of re-introducing wolves to the Yellowstone area though she ignored the controversies involved.
December 8, 2019
Follows a young pup through Yellowstone National Park and shows how the return of the wolves restored nature's balance. Sweet, informational book.
February 20, 2020
Joyous celebration of the return of wolves to Yellowstone National Park - 2 things that I adore! Love the paintings.
April 3, 2021
A great book to introduce young kids to ecology!
November 25, 2022
Loved. A good book for Jed!
January 30, 2023
Simple flow but beautiful and an act of replenishing. 4.50
August 16, 2023
A real lesson in how impactful one animal can be to nature.
September 5, 2023
Great book to help kids understand why all animals are important in the circle of life. Wonderfully written and illustrated.
October 8, 2023
Important book! Demonstrates allowing nature to maintain balance.
March 23, 2024
It's not often that I cry when reading to my 6 year old in bed. What an impactful book ♥️
June 19, 2025
Road trip to South Dakota and read this with my kids at Custer Park.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews