  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 02/01/2016 PreS-Gr 2—Through charming illustrations and minimal text, Talbott tells the story of how ancient wolves evolved into the dogs we know today. Young readers will love the nonverbal clarity of the image of a little orphan boy hiding in the shrubs watching a wolf pack run and the lonely cub trying to find his way back into the fold. The cute factor is a little over-the-top at times: the cub tries to howl, "Boy" as the pair find their way to friendship and teamwork and begin to build their own group of outcasts. This very simple interpretation, in which the boy and cub do even better than human or wolf packs, certainly has appeal but will not be useful to report writers or older readers. The closing pages show the progressive domestication of dogs from wolves to the pets that live in our homes, in all the diversity we know. VERDICT This big story in a small package hews close to current scientific understanding and is likely to be popular in most libraries, though it will be of limited value to those doing schoolwork.—Dorcas Hand, Annunciation Orthodox School, Houston, TX - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 03/15/2016 Talbott offers an engaging, fact-based myth explaining the evolution of dogs and how interwoven our history is with theirs. A charming mutt narrates the tale starting, “Long, long ago . . . ,” while evocative pencil-and-watercolor art depicts a wolf pup overlooking a plain. Meanwhile, a boy spies on the pup. Both watch wolves hunt. The two begin to circle each other, gradually becoming companions in a touching scene. As other loners and orphans join them, canines and children begin to rely on one another and work in tandem. Our modern-day dog seamlessly describes how his subspecies continues to provide important services to people as search, rescue, guide, and therapy dogs, as well as the more common variety of bed-warmer dog. The wolves, however, are never forgotten, and their endangerment is mentioned, too. While this isn’t nonfiction per se, there are enough nuggets of facts threaded through the tale that young readers will likely learn a lot about humans’ best friend. An author’s note and additional resources round out the tale. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. Loading...
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