Among the books begging me to write about them is a title I referred to in an earlier post: An Otterly Marvelous Tale. So, without further ado, here is my review of a book that isn’t only for kids.
“I begin in darkness, and my nose tells me everything I know.” With this introduction, a wolf pup named Swift describes his siblings: his brothers Sharp, bigger and aggressive, and Warm, the only one smaller than Swift, and his sisters Pounce, who delights in wrestling, and Wag, who speaks with her tail. Swift longs to be able to see the world outside their den. When the pups’ mother invites them out to meet the rest of the pack, he is ecstatic.
As Swift and his siblings grow, they learn many things: which animals are and are not prey; how to work together for a successful hunt; and the importance of marking their territory to keep invaders out. Their existence is ideal (except for Sharp’s swagger and prowess at hunting). When the young wolves are yearlings, their mother returns to the den and eventually emerges with a new litter.
However, their idyllic existence comes to a sudden end. A pack of rival wolves. so numerous they could overrun Swift’s pack, approach. As their mother leads the pups away, the defenders manage to drive off some of the enemy, but more keep coming. Swift, feigning weakness, draws a wolf away, relying on his knowledge of his home territory. He squirms through the tangled branches of fallen trees and runs over a log before leaping onto a meadow. As the other wolf follows, the log breaks, sending him into the sharp edges of the branches.
However, Swift’s victory is short-lived. As he races back to draw another invader away, he hears his father’s death song. “Carry on. Carry on. Carry on…” The frightened young wolf runs through the night, stopping in the morning to drink from a pond. A despondent Swift waits, but no one comes. At nightfall, he hears the howls of the enemy wolves, followed by Sharp’s lower howl. He understands that if Sharp is reduced to being their following wolf, there is no hope for the rest of his pack.
Driven by hunger, Swift comes across a herd of elk. He gives chase, only to see his target stop and turn around. The elk kicks him in the stomach, leaving him wounded and weak. Unable to move, the young wolf decides he is Swift no longer. He subsists on grass, insects, and a snake until he heals enough to look for water. Things look up when he finds a stream. Not only is it a source of water, it attracts other animals who come to drink, and Swift is able to kill a raccoon. Even better, the wolf is visited by a raven. Remembering that these birds would lead his father to prey in return for a share, Swift offers the raven some of his kill. Instead of taking it, the bird indicates she wants him to follow her.
This is the beginning of a symbiotic relationship. The raven leads the young wolf to water and prey. He opens the animal (which she cannot do, lacking teeth and claws). As the pair travels, they encounter a “black river” with noisemakers travelling along it. The wolf crosses, but realizes it is dangerous to do so and determines to never cross one again. Even though he craves companionship, Swift warns away a female wolf who appears on the other side. He follows the raven away from the black river, knowing that she is the only pack he has now.
Roseanne Parry has performed an incredible feat. She gives us a wolf’s-eye-view of Swift’s world. And the young wolf is a capable narrator. His experiences, feelings, aspirations, and personality come through his narrative. With simple statements, he expresses his emotions and describes what he sees and does: When his mother comes to the den, he tells us, “I can smell her sweet-wild, milk-wind smell. ‘Come,’ she says. I am all wag. ‘Outside?'” “I run. Run to feel the wind in my fur and the pound of my feet on the sweet grass and soft needles of my home ground.” “I am on my own, and come nightfall even the moon is gone.” “The skin over my belly goes slack, but I do not feel hunger. I only feel empty.”
Monica Armino’s detailed black-and-white illustrations capture the mood of and are a perfect backdrop for the events of the story. The fact that the novel is based on a true story adds to the air of reality. A Wolf Called Wander is ideal for any middle-to-upper- grade reader who loves animal stories. Even if someone is not into tales about wildlife, he or she might very well be long before finishing the story.
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