Book Review of Why Wolves Matter: A Conservation Success Story
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The Children’s Book Review
What to Expect: Nonfiction, Ecology, Conservation, Nature Studies, and Wolves
Karen B. Winnick’s Why Wolves Matter: A Conservation Success Story offers a timely and accessible exploration of ecological interconnectedness through the lens of Yellowstone National Park’s wolf reintroduction program.
Following the disappearance and eventual return of wolves to the park, a circular narrative structure serves as an effective framework for this 40-page nonfiction picture book. It effectively demonstrates the concept of trophic cascades—how removing or reintroducing a top predator affects an entire ecosystem. A relevant timeline and bibliography are provided in the backmatter for added educational value.
With her extensive work in wildlife conservation and previous children’s books, Winnick brings expertise and storytelling skills to this complex subject, successfully illustrating a concept like ecosystem balance in terms young readers can grasp. Rather than using a simplistic ‘wolves are good’ message, readers will discover how each species plays a vital role in maintaining natural balance by focusing on concrete examples—such as how elk overpopulation led to vegetation loss. Winnick’s lyrical writing style combined with her textured hand-crafted artwork in earth-colored tones helps make this scientific concept digestible for elementary school students while maintaining factual accuracy.
Why Wolves Matter fills an important niche in children’s nonfiction literature with its combination of scientific content, engaging narrative, and educational supplementary materials. As environmental education becomes increasingly crucial, educators and parents alike will find it to be a valuable addition to school libraries and home collections for young naturalists who want to be empowered with knowledge about the natural world.
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About the Creator
Karen Winnick is an author and illustrator of Why Wolves Matter, Can You Spot the Leopard: An African Safari, Good Night, Baby Animals, Mr. Lincoln’s Whiskers, Sybil’s Night Ride, Lucy’s Cave, A Year Goes Round, Barn Sneeze, Cassie’s Sweet Berry Pie, Sandro’s Dolphin and Patch & The Strings. She is the author of The Night of the Fireflies. Her paintings have been exhibited in local galleries, and her poetry has been published in magazines and anthologies. She has also produced a play, Kindertransport, about Jewish children sent to England during WWII.
Karen serves as President of the Board of Commissioners for the Los Angeles Zoo; the Board of Trustees Emeritus at Brown University; the Board of Trustees at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library; the Board of Trustees of Fauna and Flora, International and the Board of Governors Syracuse University Hillel. She has also served on the Board of Trustees of The Jewish Museum in New York and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Council in Washington, D.C.
Karen received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Syracuse University. She also studied in Florence, Italy, at NYU, the School of Visual Arts, and at the University of California, Los Angeles.
For more information, visit karenbwinnick.com.
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