Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Book Review: The Sea Wolves by Ian McAllister and Nicholas Read


I'm really just anything that qualifies as "wolf nonfiction" this year, am I not? Let's take a look at another one.

In The Sea Wolves, the authors set out to disprove the myth of the "Big Bad Wolf" and instead teach us about their real behaviors. In particular, we zoom in at a possible subspecies of wolf living in the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia that largely feeds on salmon.

There's definitely a lot of things to like about this book. While it's very obviously aimed at a younger audience, everything is written in a way that children would be able to understand. The book is full of gorgeous photo's, too, and many fun facts about not only wolves but also the Great Bear Rainforest itself and its other inhabitants are present. 

That said, it does have some information in it that is no longer considered accurate. While some things about the way packs works that the authors posed is correct, the idea that there is a real dominance and strict hierarchy is very much dated. It accurately often uses the term "wolf families" as a replacement for packs, but doesn't fully elaborate on why they are considered that (alpha's simply being the parents of most if not all other pack members). 

The book would also get a bit repetitive at times. I get that kids are younger, but you don't have to repeat the fact that coastal wolves have a redder hue in their coats five times. 

Definitely a good book for younger readers who want to learn about wolves or if you just want to learn about this (possible) subspecies. That said, be considered that not all facts regarding wolf pack behavior are correct or up to date.

Rating: 4/5


 

No comments:

Post a Comment