The Seasons of Little Wolf - Tapa dura

"Readers will find this sequel to The Eyes of Gray Wolf (Chronicle, 2004) just as satisfying as the original book. It's spring, and Little Wolf and his siblings are anxious to explore the world around them for the very first time. Summer comes, and Little Wolf is old enough to be on his own; he enjoys the insects and the joy of his first catch, a deer mouse. Later in fall, readers find Little Wolf on his first hunt with the pack when tragedy strikes. But he survives and the family dances in the moonlight to celebrate. Finally winter is upon them, and Little Wolf dreams of the day when he will lead his own pack through the seasons. Van Zyle's paintings bring Little Wolf and his family to life. Use this picture book as an introduction to the wolf's life cycle.--School Library Journal

The creators of The Eyes of Gray Wolf (1993) bring the same close intimacy to this sequel--a chronicle of a cub's eventful first year. Thanks to the illustrations' low angle of view, readers practically become members of the pack. Little Wolf and his three littermates are born in spring, bumble out of the cozy den for playtime in the warm months of summer, and then in autumn, join parents Gray Wolf and White Wolf on a hazardous first hunt. London likewise invites children to think of the wolves as practically human: Little Wolf and his sibs "chow down" by nipping Gray Wolf's muzzle after he returns from a hunt. (London leaves the exact mechanism of delivery ambiguous, which may cause readers to believe that Gray Wolf has just carried a mouthful of meat home to the cubs.) The cubs also play "tug-of-war" and "hide-and seek" until things get too wild and White Wolf imposes a "wolf's time-out." Still, for all the attentive parenting, close family ties and social nature on display here, the wolves are not anthropomorphized. Respectful and informative, with dashes of humor and drama. (afterword) (Informational picture book. 6-8) --Kirkus Reviews

Little Wolf, pup of Gray Wolf and White Wolf, bounds into the world and through the seasons in this new children’s picture book. Inside the safety of the den, through fields of wildflowers, and in birch shimmering in an autumn moon’s glow, Van Zyle’s paintings depict Little Wolf’s adventures through a variety of perspectives from close-up portraits to sweeping action scenes. Jonathan London’s lyrical prose imparts a wisdom to the text, endearing the reader to the pup and creating a suspenseful read-aloud.