Orphan: The Story of a Baby Woodchuck [Library Binding]

Faith McNulty (Author), Darby Morrell (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1992 | Age Level: 7 and up

The author of With Love from Koko tells what happened when she adopted a baby woodchuck, detailing the care needed and the painful decision to release him back into the wild.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-- With qualities reminiscent of both Joy Adamson's Born Free and books by Jean Craighead George, McNulty has created a readable beginning reader about a baby woodchuck. While telling her story of finding this orphan, she incorporates descriptive facts about it. Readers understand why the animal has been endowed with his whiskers, short legs, little round ears, eyes placed close to the top of the head, etc.; furthermore, the author creates a positive feeling for the orphaned animal as a wild creature that must learn to survive independently from human contact. Morrell's soft black-and-white drawings, some full page, show the baby woodchuck and his surroundings. An appealing offering that will serve well as an introduction to a common wild creature. --J. J. Votapka, Hempstead Public Library, NY
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

A New Yorker writer with several children's books about wildlife to her credit describes adopting an unweaned ``chuck'' found near her Rhode Island home, raising him, and then returning him to the wild. Gracefully, succinctly, and without sentimentality, she characterizes Chuck as an engaging little chap with ``amazing energy and will''--and, meanwhile, unobtrusively tucks quite a lot of natural history into her accessible text; she even shapes the true facts into a satisfying drama, concluded by a poignant second and final farewell at hibernating time. Wildlife artist Morrell's soft-pencil b&w illustrations are appealing and precise. A charming vignette. (Nonfiction. 7-11) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Library Binding: 40 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Trade (May 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590438387
• ISBN-13: 978-0590438384
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,526,067 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A great living book about woodchucks for the younger crowd, November 20, 2005

By 

R. Tom - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Orphan: The Story of a Baby Woodchuck (Library Binding)

This book is a wonderful living book for younger children wanting to find out about woodchucks because the pictures are very nicely drawn, the text is engaging, and many facts are included throughout the story. There is even a bit of humor contained within! I feel this book far surpases McNulty's earlier book about woodchucks in the "I can read science" series.