Ian McAllister (1)

4.5 stars

The author is a photographer and lives on the northern coast of British Columbia. He has taken many wildlife photos and helped with studies of the local wolf populations where he is. This is a coffee-table-style book with plenty of large photographs, alongside information about the wolves, and an epilogue that includes information about the destruction and conservation of the area.

Oh, they are beautiful. And sadly, so vilified. I hate people. I hate hunters – there are stories in show more the epilogue of some awful hunters. I hate the humans behind the companies that only want to make money and don’t care what they destroy to do it, as they destroy the habitats for most animals. These wolves are in an area that is less disturbed by humans, but it’s hard to say if that will last.

Getting beyond that, the wolves and the photos are beautiful. The area itself is beautiful, and there are a few photos that are not of the wolves, though of course, the bulk of the photos are. The information about the wolves was interesting – I didn’t know that wolves and ravens have a symbiotic relationship; wolves will hunt and eat many birds, but there has never been remains of ravens found in their scat. There is also a 20-ish minute DVD included with the book, a short documentary that says some of the same as what the book says, but of course the “photos” are now a video. And have I mentioned how beautiful they are!? show less

This is a great informational book about the bears of Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia. It follows a year of seasons and gives a wide variety of information about Grizzly Bears, Black Bears, and Spirit Bears. It also gives a good sampling of information about the ecosystem of Great Bear Rainforest and the conservation needs to protect these amazing bears. This book is the first place that I heard of Spirit Bears. I especially loved the "Just the Bear Facts" side bars which gave show more additional context to the information in the book or answered questions related to the information in the chapter. show less

I've put off a review of this book for over a year because I couldn't decide how to write it in such a way to convey how amazing this story is. I will start by saying that I am now completely fascinated by bears and the Northwest coastal area.

This is the story of the Great Bear Rainforest, a coastal temperate rainforest on the west coast of British Columbia that is home to First Nations people, an amazing variety of animal and plant life, and bears. Grizzly bears, American black bears, and show more spirit bears, a rare species of black bears.

In loving detail, photographs, and lush language, McAllister and Read describe the beauties of the Great Bear Rainforest and the bears that live there; the amazing discoveries that have been made about these mysterious animals, the wilderness that still remains to be explored, and how the bears have adapted to their special environment.

The book is divided into the four seasons and the reader follows the bears through the cycle of the seasons and their lives as they hunt for different kinds of food, mate, give birth, and raise their cubs, face enemies, and survive in their natural habitat.

The final chapter talks about the threats faced by the bears and the rainforest - only a small part of the forest is protected and logging and other industrial activities endanger the area while trophy hunting endangers the bears themselves. The authors recognize the varied concerns but are clearly on the side of the bears and the wonders of the rainforest. Suggestions of places to go to help and an index complete the book.

Verdict: The amount of text will be daunting to reluctant readers, but many middle grade children will find this a fascinating and eye-opening read, as will adults! Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9781554692057; Published April 2010 by Orca Books; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library; Added to my personal wishlist show less

Stunning photos and clear, fascinating prose with well-placed sidebars, and captions that reiterate and support the text. I learned much of wolves, including particulars on the packs of the Great Bear Rainforest. The wolf packs' territories are so strong that a pack will stop chasing prey if it crosses the boundary of another pack. I also didn't know how tied they are to salmon as a food source, especially the wolves that lives on islands or the coast. Yes, they eat a wide variety of foods, show more including deer, otters, rodents, seafood, but salmon are critical during the fall runs. The Great Basin Rainforest is a unique area as there is very little temperate rainforest remaining in the world, but receives little protection. Clear cutting is still prominent, and the wolves are not protected from hunting or killing. The author and photographer hope they're work will encourage people to fight for the GBR and all its life: "So as you can now see, wolves - and particularly coastal wolves - aren't big and bad in the way so many stories say. If we don't take real steps to safeguard them and the great green forest in which they roam, the only places where they'll remain will be in stories and books - like this one." Includes maps, and backmatter with resources. show less