The Eyes of Gray Wolf [Paperback]

Jonathan London (Author), Jon Van Zyle (Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up

Listen carefully and you will hear the wild, untamed music of Gray Wolf as he races along icy ridges, howls at the moon, fiercely defends his territory against an unknown pack, and, finally, settles with a new mate. The simple, poetic text follows the restless Gray Wolf as he wanders through the northern winter night and the spectacular illustrations present a dramatic look at a beautiful, endangered animal. A list of organizations is provided at the back of the book for readers moved to learn more and for those who would like to help the endangered wolf. An afterword that adults will want to share with children is also included and offers detailed information on wolves and their range throughout the world.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Gray Wolf, bereft of his mate, hunts alone in the snow-bright night, unknowingly infringing on another pack's territory. "His eyes burn like steady flames. The leader of the pack stares back. Their eyes lock. The moon burns a hole in the night." Returning to the ambience of The Owl Who Became the Moon (Children's Forecasts, Dec. 28, 1992), London recreates this single moment--frozen in time, saturated with tension and possibility. And the power of this moment generates a story. Words pour out, as fierce as the arctic cold or as luminous as the yellow moon (a wolf "floats over the snow . . . flowing like water"), evoking genuine feeling without humanizing animals, and portraying nature without being teacherly. In his full-spread watercolors, Van Zyle--an Iditarod racer who keeps a team of Siberian huskies (close descendants of the wolf)--depicts the arctic night and its wolves with uncommon intimacy and ease. Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-In poetic prose as spare as the Northern setting it portrays, a crucial moment in the life of a wolf who has lost his mate to man is described. Gray Wolf hunts on a moonlit winter night until suddenly his senses alert him to the presence of a strange pack. White Wolf steps out, the two animals meet, circling each other, leaving together, and eventually become the leaders of a new pack. The strength of this story is in its art. The moon is a powerful presence, washing over the snow, lighting the wolves' eyes with intensity, highlighting their bristling fur, offering shadows of the pack that never steps into its light. Van Zyle's brushstrokes are rich with texture, drawing readers into the environment and the story. A map showing the animal's past and present ranges, an extensive list of conservation organizations, and an excellent author's note that briefly discusses history, behavior, and endangered status contribute to the authority of the book. Superior art and minimalist text offer a more accessible and gripping glimpse of the wolf than that found in Jim Murphy's The Call of the Wolves (Scholastic, 1989).
Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (July 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081180285X
• ISBN-13: 978-0811802857
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 10.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,351,903 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jonathan London is a poet and the author of a number of picture books including the Froggy Series. He lives with his wife and two sons in Graton, California. Frank Remkiewicz has illustrated posters, greeting cards, the Animal Crackers box and numerous books for children. He lives on the Gulf Coast of Florida with his wife and three daughters.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Different kind of kid's book., May 14, 2002

By 

Mark Savary "moon_city" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Eyes of Gray Wolf (Paperback)

This is one of those children's picture books that doesn't quite fit a given, standardized genre. In many ways, it bucks the trends, refuses to be pigeonholed, and is a departure from the norm.

While "The Eyes of Grey Wolf" is indeed supposed to be a children's book, it defies description and genre in such unique ways as to make it fit for any age group. Best of all, the story is guaranteed to stay with you, despite taking up only thirty pages.

Written in a short, to-the-point, and almost poetic prose style that conjures up Native American folk tales, the book is equal parts kids book and adult literature. And the paintings? Absolutely glorious in their realistic depiction of Gray Wolf's adventure on a snowy, moonlit night. The effect of combining both the stylized writing and luminous art is an almost magical tale that could have come from Native legends.

Included at the end is a page or two with factual information on wolves, and contact information for some wolf conservation groups. Overall, an excellent book for any youngster's report on wolves, endangered species, or the environment.

The book is relatively short, but do not let that dissuade you from purchasing it. Once you've read it, you'll be glad to have "The Eyes of Grey Wolf" in your collection.

To author London and illustrator Van Zyle, I say thank you for putting this project together.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars London's story is entrancing, July 21, 2000

By 

G. Sherman H. Morrison - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Eyes of Gray Wolf (Paperback)

By looking into Grey Wolf's entrancing yellow eyes, we are able to grasp the radiance and spirit of these magnificent animals. Grey Wolf has lost his mate to a steel trap that man had set in the forest. We hear his howling, his "untamed music." It echoes from the mountains. Through illustrations of moonlit valleys hugged by the still night air, we become part of Gray Wolf's quest. He finds a pack in night's stillness and his eyes dance with the eyes of the pack leader. A white wolf separates herself from the pack and she and Gray Wolf circle each other. "Even the trees seem to hold their breath." Then the wolves trot off across the snow and soon curl up together to wait for spring. They will make a new pack of their own. The poetic prose written for a lower elementary audience and magnificent drawings vividly depict the great beauty of the wolf. At the end of the book, the author lists many preservation groups and shows a map of the wolf's range in North America in the 1700's versus its range today. This book is a wonderful starting point to educate children about the wolf's endangered status in the lower 48 states (except Minnesota where they are threatened). There are many wolf recovery programs in the United States including the Wolf Reintroduction Program at Yellowstone.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gotta have book!, August 9, 2009

By 

roving reader "hungry for words" (Tampa, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Eyes of Gray Wolf (Paperback)

Words, words, words. London knows how to choose them. He educates while entertaining you.