Tag: Animals Fiction

by E.D. Baker

This is the first book of the series that includes A Prince Among Frogs. Which I read out of order, so now I am remedying that. It was a fun read. Similar in theme to Frogged. Princess Emeralda doesn’t want to meet the prince her parents are trying to introduce her to (arranging a future marriage) so she sneaks out of the castle and goes to her favorite spot- the swamp behind the castle. Where she meets a frog who demands a kiss, saying he’s really a prince. Emma is reluctant, but finally gets talked into kissing the frog- and is turned into one herself. Said prince is still a frog, too. They can’t imagine why the reversal didn’t work how it was supposed to, and the only way to find out is to locate a witch. Preferably the one who transformed this prince Eadric in the first place. Getting anywhere is difficult, being frogs they are in constant danger from predators, curious or mean boys, dogs, and any larger animal or human just walking around. Emma has to learn how to hop and swim and (ugh!) eat insects. She is constantly pestered by this Eadric to kiss him again, but refuses, worried that it will work some other transformation. They journey to find the witch, only encounter a different witch instead, who wants to use their frog body parts for a spell. They’re trapped with a bunch of other creatures in her cottage and with some help from a bat, finally get free again. Emma discovers that she actually has a knack for magic, and can be braver than she ever thought. Eventually they make their way back to Emma’s castle, to seek help from her aunt who is also a witch. (So I found out- yes, this fantasy world has plenty of witches, and the magic runs in families, including Emma’s). There’s lots of funny asides, like the dog who was once accidentally turned into a duck and is now (being a dog again) mortally afraid of them. There’s also a horse that got turned into a dog, and an otter that was once a man (seems witches enjoy turning anyone who annoys them into animals), and a nasty-tempered fairy. Emma and Eadric slowly build a friendship as they go through their trials as frogs, and at the end it looks like this might even turn into a romance someday.

Borrowed from the public library.

Rating: 3/5
214 pages, 2002

by Katherine Applegate

Final book in the One and Only Ivan series. Like the Bob and Ruby books, it takes place in the zoological park they all live in after getting moved out of the shabby mall circus. It’s got Ivan’s distinctive voice again, calm and musing, a bit philosophical. Ivan is facing a new chapter of his life: he’s going to be a father! He feels anxious about his ability to protect his growing family, or even understanding what that means. Here in the park, food is provided and there are no predators- it’s nothing like the jungle he remembers from his childhood. Even when his mate (and later, one of the infants) gets sick he feels powerless to help- she’s shut in a separate room and cared for by the humans (though there’s a window he can view through). Ivan steps into his new role as father best he can, overwhelmed a bit by the young ones’ antics (they’re twins!) and later troubled by their many questions. He doesn’t want to talk about his past, about the awful things that poachers did to his family in the wild, or the time he suffered in the mall cage. But he wants to educate his offspring and teach them, as well. About what they might have to face in their future (this also bothers him- that his children will never live free in the wild). The conversation is kind of forced on him near the end, when a documentary made about Ivan’s life, is shown on a big screen at the facility, and the apes can see it from their enclosure. He is upset, but handles it well. Near the very end of the story, a child falls into the gorilla enclosure. A young adult male in the troop reacts with aggression, but Ivan steps in and gently diffuses the situation, showing he can think of and protect the humans’ welfare too. Bob and Ruby are also part of this story, of course- offering constant advice and encouragement to Ivan (and providing some humor as well). Ruby’s grown up quite a bit in this book, with a new younger elephant shadowing her around.

It’s all very heartwarming with many touching remarks about parenthood, what it means to be family, caring for others- whether relatives or friends- how to be a leader, even more broadly discussing climate change, human destruction of wild habitats, poaching issues and so on. I appreciated all the sentiments, but I just- didn’t feel connected to any of it. It was as if I was reading the whole thing (emotionally) at arm’s length. Maybe the writing style. Maybe how much tell-and-not-show Ivan did with his narrative. Or maybe that some little things about how much the animals understood of human things, seemed unrealistic. Like what a documentary is. I’m sure this wouldn’t bother younger readers though, lots of people seem to love this book just as much as the first.

Borrowed from the public library.

Rating: 2/5
262 pages, 2024

by Wataru Nadatani

More cute cat antics. Riko loves doing a gamble kind of thing on one of her video games, where she “bets” something, spins something, and chances to get special items (or not). She thinks her cats might enjoy something similar, so she mixes a few handfuls of treats into their automatic dry food dispenser. Then sees how Musubi’s behavior changes regarding the feeder (he is very fond of those treats). Riko plays a feather game (on a wand) with her cats, amazed at how high Musubi can jump, and amused at Soboro’s attempts, with her shorter legs. She posts a picture of them in action on her cats’ social media account, and then sees the response grow. When she goes off to work, the cats find a room left open that’s usually closed, and explore together. They start incorporating into their daily activities phrases they’ve overheard Riko use while gaming- so now going into an unfamiliar, dark room is “entering the dungeon”, and facing an opponent (the toilet paper roll) is “fighting a boss”. Riko comes home to witness the aftermath of their destruction, with two cats who look quite pleased with themselves! The cats see birds through the window, and chatter uncontrollably. Riko is alarmed at first, until she looks it up and realizes that a lot of cats do this. The cats copy each other’s poses when stretching and sleeping, so charming. They are shedding, and the fur floating around the apartment bothers Riko, so she buys a cat brush. She’s surprised at how much loose fur comes out, and that a few days later, the cats need brushing again! Then she decides that bathing the cats will help. Musubi never minded a bath before, but Soboro has the opposite reaction! I think the most amusing (but also a bit sad) part was near the end, when Riko is excited about the release of a new version of one of her favorite video games. She celebrates with a fancy dinner, buying special food for her cats too, and posting a picture of it all. A co-worker sees her post and thinks she’s celebrating her birthday, alone with her cats. So she purchases a gift, to give Riko the next day at work. Only then does Riko realize it had been her birthday- she completely forgot!

Borrowed from the public library, interlibrary loan).

Rating: 3/5
158 pages, 2019

by Wataru Nadatani

I last read this series two months ago! My library doesn’t have any more of them past volume 3, so I had to request an interlibrary loan.

In volume 4, there’s a new addition to Riko’s family. She gets a second cat! And not just any cat, but a very cute little calico with short legs, a munchkin. She does her best to introduce the cats gradually, following provided instructions. The new kitty, eventually named Soboro (but I liked her original name, Tama, better) is eager, curious and playful. The resident tuxedo Musubi is more reserved. But soon enough they go from chasing in conflict to chasing for fun, boxing with each other, vying for the most comfortable spots, seeing who can climb highest on the cat tower and so on. Riko finds her new kitty so endearing, but (as always) refers to almost everything in gamer terms, so she compares her two cats’ abilities and “powers” and for some reason she kept saying that Soboro was “broken.” I didn’t get that. Because of her short legs? She couldn’t jump as high as Musubi, but in every other way was just as able a feline. Not only do the two cats have to get used to each other, but Riko has to find new levels of patience with their antics, as they often interrupt her gaming time with their spirited play. A lot of this story is very quiet, just showing what the cats do when they’re home alone. They constantly move to find the coolest sleeping spot- it must be very hot where they live because where I am, my cats do the opposite, and follow the squares of sunshine around the room! They groom each other, and play-fight, and eye each other’s food bowls at mealtimes. Funny, I give my cats Churu treats too (but only as special reward, when they get their claws trimmed). Some pages show the cats’ perspective on things, a bit baffled at what their human does, which is also amusing. And cute. Did I mention how cute this series is? It just makes me feel calm and happy reading it.

Borrowed from the public library.

Rating: 3/5
168 pages, 2019

by Katherine Applegate

Another sequel to The One and Only Ivan. This one from the viewpoint of the little elephant, Ruby. Ruby, having escaped the horrors of the mall along with Ivan (who now lives next door), is now safe in the zoo and surrounding by other elephants who love and support her. She’s charming- so spunky and silly, loves to tell riddles and have fun. But reluctant about an upcoming event- a celebration the elephants in her adopted herd are having for her “Tuskday”- a coming-of-age thing. I really thought this book would be either about her struggles to adjust to yet another new environment, or about her desire to live free in the wild, return to Africa. Nope. Most of it is about what she remembers from being in Africa, before she was captured as a baby calf and sold to the mall display. She has a very good memory. And it’s why she dreads her Tuskday. She doesn’t like her tusks, because back in Africa, elephants in her family were hunted for their tusks, people killed them for it. Ruby relives the trauma and fear of those days as she tells her story, and by the end of the book, is able to come to terms with some things. That she can’t escape growing up, but she can face things together with her friends and family. Like the other books in this series, it was a touching story, and shares a lot of info about wild elephants and the threats they face, through Ruby’s eyes (with a bit too much knowledge of what humans did – but easy to overlook that) which is a great way for young readers to learn. I don’t know why, but again I found myself a little bored with it. Maybe because all the things Ruby shared about the plight of elephants, was already in my awareness, and the plot itself didn’t have much unique to it- or maybe I need to really start moving on to YA and adult books again.

Borrowed from the public library.

Rating: 3/5
218 pages, 2023

by Katherine Applegate

Sequel to The One and Only Ivan. This one is from the dog’s viewpoint, and it takes place mostly after the events in the old shopping mall, although there are some flashbacks where Bob describes their time there, or his memories of puppyhood before. He was a scrappy street dog, had to rely on his wits and definitely did not trust humans. But now he’s in a comfortable home, taken on walks, even entered into obedience school (which he defies). He’s worried about “going soft.” The best days are when his family takes him to visit the zoo, and he gets to see Ivan the gorilla and Ruby the elephant again. The first part of this story is Bob explaining his situation and reflecting on the relationship between dogs and humans. He’s sarcastic about it all, doesn’t quite agree with most dogs’ fawning on their owners, and makes pointed remarks about some famous dogs (Chaser the border collie who knows a thousand words and Hachiko who waited nine years for his owner- neither are actually named in the book but it’s obvious who they are). I did like some of his descriptive phrases: “homework, which smells like frustration with a hint of eraser.” Or this: “We live on a lonely ball called Earth, and humans have basically been throwing it against the wall for so long that the poor ‘ol ball is falling apart.” Yeah, the dog talks like he knows more than animals actually could, but so do all the other animals in this story. And they all talk to each other.

About halfway through the book, a huge natural disaster strikes. While Bob is at the zoo, visiting his old friends. He’s suddenly roaming through the debris, searching for his friends. Finding and helping other animals in distress, in spite of himself. While humans are trying to rescue animals from the rubble and capture or subdue the dangerous ones that have gotten free, Bob is mostly worried about Ivan. A flood follows the initial blow, and Bob (against his will) winds up in the animal shelter nearby, where more humans are trying to evacuate the animals. He encounters someone from his past there, and finally is able to lay to rest an old hurt. To find forgiveness for himself, for a wrong he thought he’d done (but nobody else held it against him). He goes on yet another rescue mission, determined to succeed where no one else can. But he needs the help of his old friends in this, too.

Wow, there was so much tension with the disaster and aftermath in this one. It was pages and pages and pages of action- all happening in what seemed just twenty-four hours, as the animals scrambled around trying to survive and save each other. Bob finds he’s just as brave and plucky as he ever imagined himself to be, but more importantly, that he also cares more about others than he would have admitted. It’s very touching and heartwarming, but a much too. With the disaster events. Not sure if I would have liked this one as a kid. It looks like a really thick book, but it’s actually not that long. All told in brief paragraphs and one-liners spaced down the page, almost like poetry in style. So a quick one. I did like that the voice of this was very different from the previous book, as Bob is not at all like Ivan. But I think that’s why some other readers didn’t like it as much.

Borrowed from the public library.

Rating: 3/5
340 pages, 2020

by Rosanne Parry

I liked this one better, too. It has two main characters- young Deneb, a male orca and his older sister Vega. The chapters alternate between each whale’s viewpoint, and are both written in first-person format, so it took me a few chapters to figure out how to tell who was now narrating. There’s a dorsal fin drawing at each chapter head, larger one with a notch for Vega, smooth smaller fin for Deneb. Like the other books I’ve read by this author, there’s lots of illustrations which add so much, I liked seeing all the different sea creatures and plants. Through the story, the reader gets a lot of information about the sea life, the different habitats the whales travel through, and how they interact with other mammals, including the whale groups. It made clear how distinctive the separate orca populations are- their diet, communication and culture are very different. When young Deneb first encounters an adult male from a seal-eating group, it’s like he’s met a foreigner.

It all happens because of two tragedies that befall the whales’ natal pod- a new calf is stillborn, which sets them all to grieving, and Deneb reacts by swimming off alone (unwisely). Then there’s what sounds like (from the descriptions) a large earthquake and tsunami, which separates the whales. Young Deneb and his sister manage to find each other again halfway through the book, but struggle on to locate the rest of their family. At the same time, they’re confused by changes to the environment following the disaster, battling hunger because the salmon have not appeared for their annual run, and puzzling over the things that humans do (or throw into the ocean). Pollution makes them sick, debris gets in the way, loud noises “blind” them in the water. The whales tell each other stories about how awful it was in long-ago times when young orcas were caught and removed from the water by humans- they still mourn those lost babies- but still have it rough nowadays because of the pollution, both from toxins and noise. It might all sound dismal, but there are wonderful things in this story too. Strength of family, courage and perseverance, how much it means for them to be together and support each other. Wonder at the wide variety and amazing details of ocean life, too. I wish this book had been longer, I would have happily kept reading.

Like the previous two, this volume has pages in the back with facts about orcas, the various ocean habitats and other wildlife there, human interactions with and impacts on sea life. The story is based on an actual orca population in the Salish Sea that has been studied for forty years. The only part of it all that felt unrealistic to me was at the end, when the orcas help humans demolish a dam of broken trees and debris (from the earthquake) that is blocking salmon from returning upriver. I wanted to know if that was based on any fact, but can’t find more information about it.

Borrowed from the public library.

Rating: 3/5
324 pages, 2020

by Rosanne Parry

Story of a wild horse, from his youth to young adulthood. At first he lives free and loves the feel of the wind in his mane, loves to run and spar with other young horses. He knows that his days of living with his natal band are numbered, that eventually he will be ousted, but that doesn’t happen until a drought comes on the land, threatening all the animals with thirst. While still learning to live on his own, and hoping to join the companionship of other young ‘bachelor’ colts, he has his first encounter with humans. Together with a few other wild horses, he’s driven into a canyon that’s been turned into a trap, and is then corralled. Desperate to be free, but unable to escape. He’s taken to a station of the Pony Express (but of course doesn’t know what this is) and soon -against his will- trained to accept a rider. The goal is to run fast and straight between two points, then rest up and race it again back the other way. This doesn’t make any sense to the horses, but they learn to comply and do their best anyway. Sky communicates with other horses and mules that live among humans (with the horses he speaks in full sentences, the mules and other animals just get phrases across, and the humans are incomprehensible) and finds that most of them see no point in resisting or trying to escape. But Sky is determined to find a way, even if he has to wait a long time for his chance. He starts to recognize that the humans have different personalities and begins to care for some of them, before finally making his escape. Immediately starts for his home range, but finds that things have drastically changed, because of humans destroying the environment in their search for precious metals. Sky finds some of his original band, old friends, all trapped and enslaved by the humans. Can he get them free? and will they follow him to safety? His homeland is ruined, so they must find a new place to live.

I found this story a lot more engaging than the wolf one. It seemed to me that the descriptions were better written, so it didn’t feel quite so dull. Also, the interactions of the horse with other animals, and his encounters with humans, his bafflement at their behaviors and what they were doing to him, was interesting. It reminded me of several other horse stories that started with a young foal born in the wild, then caught and pressed into human service- Smoky the Cowhorse by Will James and Buck, Wild by Glenn Balch. Just like in A Wolf Called Wander, the back of the book has pages with facts about the wildlife featured in the story, the different habitats they lives in, and some history of the region as well.

One thing that was odd to me was how the horses referred to other animals and things in the narrative. For some, the regular names were used: horse, burro, mule, human. But while a bee was called a bee, all other insects were called “flutters.” A cougar was called a “claw beast” (very fitting) but a bear was just a bear. Rabbits and squirrels were “bounders” and “scampers”, a snake was a “slither”, human hands were “grabbers”, the bridle and/or reins were “guiders”, and so on. I just didn’t get why some things had descriptive horse-given names, and other things had their real names.

Borrowed from the public library.

Rating: 3/5
260 pages, 2023

More opinions: Libris Notes
anyone else?

by Albert Payson Terhune

Wonderfully written short stories about collie dogs that lived on a lakeshore estate in the early 1900’s. The author bred and raised collies there and wrote a lot of stories about them that became very popular. You’d think from this title, that it’s a direct sequel to Lad, A Dog– but actually there are a half-dozen other books about other collies of his in between, and in this one the stories span a wide range of years, some from when Lad was a puppy, others from his later years. While the stories are apparently based on actual incidents, they’re a bit melodramatic and too-good-to-be-true in some cases. You can tell it’s been embellished, and he makes a lot of fuss over how great the dogs are (intelligent, noble, etc) and surmises what they might be thinking- although it’s realistic in that the dogs don’t actually talk or think in sentences. Darn good stories, though. Much dramatic irony and plenty of mishaps that turn to good in the end. Some parts made me laugh, some made me shake my head (wondering at the author’s stance on some things, and nodding my head in agreement on others- he does tend to go off on little rants at times), and one actually made me catch my breath in surprise and shock. It’s been so long since I’ve read this, I had forgotten many of the key points in the narrative. Well, here’s a brief overview (with some SPOILERS):

‘The Coming of Lad’ – How Lad arrived at the Place (yes, that’s what they called their property) when he was a puppy. The owner wanted a guard dog, and felt disappointed at Lad’s youth and fancy appearance. They didn’t think he would make any kind of watchdog. Then a thief arrives in the dead of night, who the puppy thinks is a new playmate. He attempts to romp with the thief, foiling the man’s plans (hilariously). Then when the criminal strikes out at the puppy, Lad’s demeanor suddenly changes and he becomes a very fierce protector thereafter.

‘The Fetish’ – When a stray dog snaps at the Mistress on a public street, Lad leaps to her defense. Bystanders panic and scream “mad dog!” so the stray is shot. Because Lad had fought with it, a constable shows up at their house later solemnly stating that he must shoot Lad as his “duty” because he was bitten by a rabid dog. The owners protest that a) there’s no actual indication the stray dog had rabies, and b) Lad didn’t suffer any bites from the animal. But the constable is stubborn in his desire to destroy any animal seen to be a threat, so they have quite an argument over it. The constable storms off to get paperwork that will allow him to shoot the dog, stumbles and falls in the lake, and is neatly saved by Lad. He couldn’t swim, so had been in quite a panic himself and is now so grateful that of course he changes his mind.

‘No Tresspassing!’ – some young people out for a jaunt in a boat decide to stop on the lawn at the Place and have a picnic. They make a mess, and the Master comes down with Lad ordering them to leave and clean up their litter. There’s an altercation, and it’s the tresspassers’ fear of the dog that makes them leave. Later on, the owners take Lad to a dog show. One of the picnickers is at the show, and wants to get revenge by sneakily dying Lad’s fur red. He mistakenly dyes another dog instead. Those owners are outraged, and when Lad recognizes the scent of the man from the lakeshore he confronts him, and the dye on his hands gives him away.

‘Hero-Stuff’ – A new dog is brought to the Place- a young female collie that will become Lad’s companion and mate. She has to learn the rules and good behavior, and one thing she cannot resist is attacking a taxidermied eagle on display. She’s scolded for this, but repeats the offense later. The Master locks her in a shed as punishment. An accidental fire traps Lady in the shed, and Lad goes to the rescue.

‘The Stowaway’ – Lad is getting older, and finds that his younger mate now prefers to play with their son Wolf, instead of romp with him (he can’t quite keep up). Discouraged at being left out, he sneaks into the car when his owners are going away on a short trip. They find him on arrival, and the host protests because there are no pets allowed on the grounds. They insist Lad will be perfectly well-behaved. Then Lad is found leaving a room that was destroyed. When confronted, the owners refuse to believe that Lad could have caused the mess. It’s discovered that someone else had been clandestinely keeping a pet monkey, which got loose and wrecked the room. Lad had been attracted by the monkey’s scent. All is put to rights. And when they return home, Lad finds that Lady is now delighted with his company- absence made the heart grow fonder.

‘The Tracker’ – A young man comes to stay at the Place, son of a relative. He’s spiteful and mean, likes to tease the dog (putting hot pepper in his food, poking his feet with sharp tacks, etc.) The dog is too well-behaved to retaliate, but goes out of his way to avoid the kid. The owners feel they can’t punish him outright because he’s not theirs, but they do scold him a lot. After a particularly heated confrontation about some misdeed, the boy runs away. They’re sure he will come back when calmed down, but he doesn’t. He’s run into trouble, and bad weather is brewing. Lad is ordered to find him by tracking his scent, even though he loathes the kid. Dutifully he finds the boy, and even protects him until the adults arrive. Now the boy is grateful and acts kindly towards the dog (though the story ends abruptly, so you wonder how much his behavior actually changed).

‘The Juggernaut’ – the author (through the Master’s conversation) rants about the dangers of speeding automobiles. Lady has a bad habit of chasing cars, and finally she meets with a fatal accident. The owners witnessed the incident and the motorist had deliberately swerved to hit her. They’re incensed but didn’t see his face or get his license plate, so can do nothing about it. Lad however, recognizes the man’s scent when they encounter him later at a tennis club. Other people are telling the Master and Mistress how much they detest this young man- for frequently speeding, killing animals on the road and then bragging about it- when Lad springs up and attacks him. He is taken away by police, and the tennis club people rip things off his car for their own vengeance.

‘In Strange Company’ – Lad goes along with his family on a camping trip. He has some small adventures there (including an encounter with a bear) but then is accidentally left behind. Tied up to a shed, no less. The owners don’t realize what happened until they’re all the way back home (there’s two vehicles and they thought he was in the other one). When they start driving back to retrieve him, tension arises because a forest fire is approaching. Here the author goes off on a rant about fire safety, and made one of the statements that had me rolling my eyes:  “No forest fire, since the birth of time, ever started of its own accord. Each and every one has been due to human carelessness.” Um, what about lightning strikes?? Well, Lad manages to break the rope and flees, along with a myriad of wildlife, to the lake where they take refuge. (Very similar scene in A Wolf Called Wander). Afterwards, he is reunited with his owners.

‘Old Dog, New Tricks’ – Lad starts picking up random items he finds fallen on the roadside, and bringing them to his Master or Mistress. He gets praised for this, so starts going out of his way to look for things. This gets him involved in a kidnapping case, when the perpetrators, while fleeing the scene were forced to stop and fix a flat tire. They set the stolen baby down by the roadside (so he wouldn’t be found in the care if police came by). Lad was walking by in the dark and picked up the baby! When he came home hauling an infant wrapped in an expensive blanket, it caused all kinds of fuss! All right again in the end, though Lad never understood in this case why his “gift” wasn’t praised and instead caused an immediate loud uproar.

‘The Intruders’ – A neighbor’s large pig breaks through the fence and starts digging up the Mistresses’ flower bed, eating bulbs. Lad tries to drive the pig away but he’s older now and not strong enough, though still bravely attacks. The pig fights back. The Mistress gets involved, but her attempts are also ineffective- and the pig is a real danger to her. At the same time, there’s a thief trying to make off with one of their cars, in broad daylight, from the garage! He thinks he’ll be able to get away with it because of the handy distraction cause by this fight with a pig. But instead the pig with the dog and people chasing it, run straight towards where he’s driving the car away. You can imagine the outcome.

‘The Guard’ – Lad takes under his protection a young girl on the Place. Her father is a migrant worker, who forces her to work hard alongside him (picking and hauling peaches). He would beat her, except that the Master has forbidden it. But he still threatens his child when nobody is around. Lad does his best to keep her safe, and she becomes enamored of the big dog. One day when most of the adults are absent from the property, the girl happens to find herself alone in a building with her father, and the dog can’t reach her side. But she finds to her surprise (and her father’s) that she now has the bravery to stand up for herself, screaming back at him and he is actually frightened thinking he sees the dog looming in the shadows. While it was good to see the child no longer being harmed, this story did have a sad ending. For Lad.

Rating: 4/5
342 pages, 1922

by Rosanne Parry

Story of a wolf, based on the life of a real wolf (OR-7) studied from a pack in Yellowstone. You can even see a map of where he went. Of course a lot of this is made up, showing things surmised from the wolf’s perspective, but the actual places he traveled is factual. Called Wander in this story, the young wolf is growing up in his natal pack, finding his place among his littermates, learning skills, then helping with the next year’s new pups. Aspiring to be a leader someday and lead his own pack. Then calamity strikes, when a rival pack moves into their territory and scatters them. Wander is now alone, frightened and having to fend for himself. He misses his packmates, can’t bring down large prey solo, and vacilitates for quite a while between wanting to run away/move on to new/safe territory, and feeling compelled to stay and find his missing packmates, reunite with some of his family. He does eventually encounter a brother, but they can’t manage to stay together. Wander is forced to move on, and travels a thousand miles through the Pacific Northwest. He traverses strange lands, with different ecosystems he’s not used to, encountering animals that are new to him (he can’t run fast enough to catch a pronghorn!) the mysteries and dangers of man-things (barbed wire, paved roads and vehicles), and then runs into humans themselves- which confuse and frighten him. He’s baffled at meeting a domestic dog, whose company he craves because it seems so much like a wolf, but whose closeness to the human things unnerves him. For a while he forms a partnership with a raven. Gets injured by an elk and struggles to recover. Faces thirst in dry lands, and the terror of fire driven by the wind. After a long, tiresome and dangerous journey, he finally comes to a land that feels more like home- mountainsides with cooling trees and thickets with deer, clearings with elk. Meets another young lone wolf, and at long last is able to form his own pack.

Nice story, especially how realistically it reflected the life of a wolf in the wild. At the back are several pages telling about the wolves, the other wildlife they share habitats with, the studies that follow the original OR-7. I liked that while the wolves talked to each other, the never discussed things that wouldn’t concern a wolf, and couldn’t converse in the same way with other animals (Wander would guess at what the raven’s gestures meant, but the sounds were foreign). Have to admit I was disappointed not to see a conclusion to the encounter between one of his siblings and a porcupine! He also has interactions with wild horses and cougars, tries catching fish after watching a bear do so, and many other events. Actually quite a lot happens in this relatively short book. What surprised me was- it felt too easy. The simple language and present tense narrative had me bored. Normally I’d be annoyed at this and would have set the book aside, but my reaction was the opposite- I was happy to find myself bored with this book. Maybe that means I’m ready for harder reading material! I did request from the library a few others written by this author (there’s another wolf story, one about a wild horse, and another about an orca). I’m curious if it’s just the style here, or the comprehension level that I’m responding to.

Rating: 3/5
244 pages, 2019

DISCLAIMER:

All books reviewed on this site are owned by me, or borrowed from the public library. Exceptions are a very occasional review copy sent to me by a publisher or author, as noted. Receiving a book does not influence my opinion or evaluation of it

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