Monday, August 15, 2011

Nonfiction Monday: The Sea Wolves by Ian McAllister & Nicholas Read

When I read Ian McAllister's Salmon Bears about the amazing bears in the Great Bear Rainforest on the Northwestern coast, I was completely fascinated. I don't know why I never got around to reviewing that title, but believe me it is amazing. A beautifully written look into an entire habitat I had no idea existed. Completely...fascinating.

So, I was excited to see that McAllister has written a second book on another unique habitant of the Grea Bear Rainforest; the coastal wolves that share the forest with the bears. McAllister introduces us to these wolves by way of a brief history of the wolf and its poor treatment in history and wildlife management. Then we plunge right into the amazing lives of these wolves. They fish, swim, live on islands, and inhabit a beautiful and harsh landscape gorgeously caught by McAllister's photographs.

The story of the wolves is roughly arranged into seasons, showing how they live and survive in spring, summer, fall, and winter. The final two chapters talk about the threats the coastal wolves - and the Great Bear Rainforest - face from many sources, especially logging and oil. McAllister's passion and fascination with his subject is clear and he includes links to the various informational sources and support groups for the rainforest, many of which he is involved in or has created. For younger children, I would want a more balanced approach to the complicated issues facing the rainforest and the people and animals who live there, but this book is aimed at a middle grade to adult audience, which I would expect to recognize McAllister's passion for his subject and be capable of exploring the subject further for additional viewpoints.

Verdict: Animal fact books are often considered the domain of younger readers, but this book and Salmon Bears are two volumes that will grab the interest of tweens and teens still interested in animals and now wanting something with a little more depth and detail. Recommended.


ISBN: 9781554692064; Published October 2010 by Orca; Borrowed from the library

3 comments:

GatheringBooks said...

I will have to confess that these are the type of books that I usually walk past in the library shelves, but our participation in Nonfiction Monday shows me how much I've been missing. My nine year old daughter seems quite keen on these types of books. Perhaps I'd borrow this book one of these days. :) thanks for sharing.

Tammy Flanders said...

I really enjoyed this title, too. So much I didn't know about and the photos were fantistic as well. Great recommendation.
Tammy
Apples with Many Seeds

Unknown said...

This sounds like a book my children would really enjoy...we'll have to check it out! Thanks for the recommendation!