Wolverines

Living Wild

by Melissa Gish

"A scientific look at wolverines, including their habitats, physical characteristics such as their claws, behaviors, relationships with humans, and limited range of the hungry weasels in the world today"--

Genres: Nonfiction, Childrens, Animals

46 pages, Library Binding

First published September 1, 2014

About the author

Melissa Gish is Associate Professor of English at Glenville State College, in West Virginia. She is the author of more than 100 juvenile educational books on such topics as biography, folklore, science, natural history, and wildlife.

Reviews

[Nannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoops, I judged this one pretty unfairly by its cover. But the wolverine picture they have is… not the greatest, to say the least. You can't see the shape of the animal, and it looks sick or unhappy. That's probably what I would think if I were a child—and it's why I'm making a big deal out of a seemingly small issue.

But inside this little children's book is so much information on wolverines—and even better, so much information from recent studies, like from Ian Copeland's work in the Rockies. The book begins with a small, fictional story about a wolverine stealing a carcass from a grizzly bear to introduce readers to wolverines' audacity. Then come the facts: a map of the world showing the wolverines' range.

The format of this book is beautiful, with huge, bold pictures and a sidebar with interesting facts, like "The wolverine's curved claws are so sharp and strong that they enable the animal to climb up sheer cliffs and ice walls." The text covers everything you can imagine about wolverines, including accurate information about their social relationships (that they're not, in fact, solitary animals at all, like once believed, but that wolverines have close family ties lasting for many years).

I was initially scouting for books to give my friend's child (like, please love my favorite animal), but I will probably get a second copy of this book for myself.

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic! I started reading it to my daughter but finished it by myself because it was so interesting!! I have learned so much about wolverines that I feel I could sweep a Jeopardy category on the topic!! What amazing creatures!!! I hope that wolverines continue to survive in the wild!