The author of Julie of the Wolves (HarperCollins, 1972) shares her expertise and fascination for wolves in an engaging volume for young readers. Written in second person, the narrative sets the mood by asking young readers to "look to the north"at various times of the year and to think about wolf pups. When dandelions begin to turn white, wolf pups are being born. When you see baby robins, wolf pups are being weaned. When you're out trick-or-treating, young wolves are learning to hunt for themselves. Each double-page spread ingeniously links a common occurrence in our temperate climate with the growth of a wolf from birth to adulthood, and to put the information in context, realistic acrylic paintings and a second strand of third-person narrative follows a specific litter through its growth cycle. (Ages 3-7)

Newbery Medalist Jean Craighead George lovingly tells the story of three wolf pups--from the moment they open their eyes to the time they lead the hunt. Lyrical passages in her wolf pup diary describe how the pups tumble and play and when they first learn to howl and talk wolk talk. Readers are reminded of the changes in nature that are happening in the lower 48 states as they "look to the north" to watch the wolf pups grow. Jean George's words and Lucia Washburn's breathtaking paintings give the reader a rare glimpse of one of nature's noblest creatures: the wolf.