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Wild at Heart: The Story of Olaus and Mardy Murie, Defenders of Nature
Mardy and Olaus Murie fell in love in--and with--Alaska. Then set out on an adventure across the Arctic for Olaus's work as a biologist, encountering the beauty and danger of the wilds along the way. They learned from Indigenous communities to appreciate the interconnectedness of all living creatures and understood that the way humans were moving in on wild land was threatening the natural world. So they shifted the focus of their work to conservation, fighting to protect the land and animals--and lobbying for the creation of what finally became the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, nine thousand square miles of protected land! Mardy and Olaus's story of passion and hard work will inspire all readers to fan their spark of purpose into flame. Backmatter includes additional information on Mardy and Olaus, their legacy, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and more.
43 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2024
About the author
Evan Griffith
4 books15 followersEvan Griffith is the author of the middle-grade novels MANATEE SUMMER and THE STRANGE WONDERS OF ROOTS (both Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections) and the picture book biographies SECRETS OF THE SEA: THE STORY OF JEANNE POWER, REVOLUTIONARY MARINE SCIENTIST and WILD AT HEART: THE STORY OF OLAUS AND MARDY MURIE, DEFENDERS OF NATURE. His books have received multiple starred reviews, appeared on several state award lists for children's literature, and been recognized as Bank Street’s Best Children’s Books of the Year, National Science Teachers Association Best Stem Books, and Chicago Public Library’s Best Informational Books for Younger Readers. Evan received his MFA in Writing for Children at the Vermont College of Fine Arts where he now serves as faculty. He lives in Austin, Texas with a mischievous tuxedo cat and several overflowing bookshelves.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 31, 2024
Wild At Heart is a true love story. I enjoyed reading about how, even though Olaus and Mardy grew up thousands of miles away—Mardy in the wilderness of Alaska and Olaus in the deep woods of Minnesota—both were in love with nature. So when Olaus's work as a biologist brought him to Mardy's town in Alaska, the two kindred hearts pulled them together, and they fell in love and married. What a perfect match.
Mardy was happy to be part of Olaus's work, and they crossed countless miles of Arctic wilderness to study animals. It was a treacherous journey. They canoed down churning rivers, walked through fierce blizzards, rode across the tundra on dogsleds, and faced dangerous predators. Along the way, they met Native people from different tribes who lived in harmony with nature, offered them shelter and food, and taught Olaus and Mardy about the animals that lived there. Olaus and Mardy filled notebooks with data and observations.
As they crisscrossed Alaska, they noticed how everything in nature is connected to this great chain of life and realized that all animals, including humans, need great, wild, and free land to live happily. But the world was changing. Cities were growing, and tall buildings stretched toward the sky. The world needed fuel, so trees were cut down, and drills dug deep into the earth for oil. Olaus and Mardy knew Earth's resources would be gone one day if this continued. Then, Olaus and Mardy decided they had to do something. They would fight for nature to survive.
Their dream began with how large sections of nature could be set aside and protected from development, creating a refuge for all the animals and plants. They didn't want their idea to end up like most national parks, where roads and buildings needed to be made and animals like wolves and coyotes removed for humans to visit. Olaus and Mardy wanted a refuge for nature itself—areas of wilderness where the great chain of life could be unbroken forever.
Olaus and Mardy jumped into action and traveled across the country and the world, speaking out about the need to set aside wild places like their beloved Arctic. Some people didn’t care about hurting the environment as long as they made money. Protected land would get in the way, but Olaus and Mardy never quit. They wrote books and letters, gave speeches, and even testified before the United States Congress.
One day, their work paid off. The United States government decided to create the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, over eight million acres of protected land. Murdy and Olaus celebrated but kept fighting and persuaded the government to pass the Wilderness Act, which set aside millions of acres of wild land in Alaska and throughout the United States.
Everyone will appreciate the backmatter provided by Evan at the end of the book, which includes more in-depth research and pictures. Olaus died in 1963. Murdy lived another 40 years after Olaus and died at 101 in 2003. Murday accomplished many more things in those 40 years, like President Bill Clinton, who awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998 in honor of her decades of service to nature.
Teachers and other writers will love that Evan has shared an entire page titled Notes on the Study of Historical Figures.
What a great book and incredible story about two people in love with each other, the land, and the animals around them. Teachers, parents, and children will love this book. The story is interesting, and Anna Bron's Illustrations are gorgeous. Anyone who opens this book will know how much love Anna puts into every page, and readers will surely see how much research and love Evan put into writing this story. Everyone will notice this book was a labor of love on his part, too. I started this review by saying Wild At Heart is a great love story, and now you know why.
Mardy was happy to be part of Olaus's work, and they crossed countless miles of Arctic wilderness to study animals. It was a treacherous journey. They canoed down churning rivers, walked through fierce blizzards, rode across the tundra on dogsleds, and faced dangerous predators. Along the way, they met Native people from different tribes who lived in harmony with nature, offered them shelter and food, and taught Olaus and Mardy about the animals that lived there. Olaus and Mardy filled notebooks with data and observations.
As they crisscrossed Alaska, they noticed how everything in nature is connected to this great chain of life and realized that all animals, including humans, need great, wild, and free land to live happily. But the world was changing. Cities were growing, and tall buildings stretched toward the sky. The world needed fuel, so trees were cut down, and drills dug deep into the earth for oil. Olaus and Mardy knew Earth's resources would be gone one day if this continued. Then, Olaus and Mardy decided they had to do something. They would fight for nature to survive.
Their dream began with how large sections of nature could be set aside and protected from development, creating a refuge for all the animals and plants. They didn't want their idea to end up like most national parks, where roads and buildings needed to be made and animals like wolves and coyotes removed for humans to visit. Olaus and Mardy wanted a refuge for nature itself—areas of wilderness where the great chain of life could be unbroken forever.
Olaus and Mardy jumped into action and traveled across the country and the world, speaking out about the need to set aside wild places like their beloved Arctic. Some people didn’t care about hurting the environment as long as they made money. Protected land would get in the way, but Olaus and Mardy never quit. They wrote books and letters, gave speeches, and even testified before the United States Congress.
One day, their work paid off. The United States government decided to create the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, over eight million acres of protected land. Murdy and Olaus celebrated but kept fighting and persuaded the government to pass the Wilderness Act, which set aside millions of acres of wild land in Alaska and throughout the United States.
Everyone will appreciate the backmatter provided by Evan at the end of the book, which includes more in-depth research and pictures. Olaus died in 1963. Murdy lived another 40 years after Olaus and died at 101 in 2003. Murday accomplished many more things in those 40 years, like President Bill Clinton, who awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998 in honor of her decades of service to nature.
Teachers and other writers will love that Evan has shared an entire page titled Notes on the Study of Historical Figures.
What a great book and incredible story about two people in love with each other, the land, and the animals around them. Teachers, parents, and children will love this book. The story is interesting, and Anna Bron's Illustrations are gorgeous. Anyone who opens this book will know how much love Anna puts into every page, and readers will surely see how much research and love Evan put into writing this story. Everyone will notice this book was a labor of love on his part, too. I started this review by saying Wild At Heart is a great love story, and now you know why.
February 11, 2026
This luminous picture book biography introduces young readers to two of the most important and often overlooked figures in American conservation history. Evan Griffith tells the story of Olaus and Mardy Murie with warmth and clarity, presenting them not as distant environmental saints but as curious, courageous people whose love for each other was inseparable from their love for the living world.
The narrative begins with Alaska itself as a character: immense, dangerous, and breathtaking. Griffith beautifully captures how the Muries’ early scientific work gradually transformed into something larger than biology. Their encounters with Indigenous communities, their long Arctic journeys, and their careful observation of caribou and wolves taught them that wilderness is not empty space but a delicate web of relationships. The book conveys this ecological insight in language children can grasp without ever talking down to them.
Anna Bron’s illustrations are the soul of the book. Her sweeping landscapes, textured with northern light and weather, communicate both the grandeur and fragility of the Arctic. Small human figures move respectfully through a vast world of animals, rivers, and mountains a visual reminder of the humility that shaped the Muries’ philosophy. Particularly striking are scenes of travel by dogsled and riverboat, where adventure and scientific purpose merge.
Griffith also handles the theme of activism with admirable balance. The shift from field scientists to public advocates culminating in the creation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is presented as a natural moral awakening rather than a political slogan. Young readers see how ordinary dedication, patience, and partnership can change national history.
The backmatter enriches the story with photographs and historical context, making the book useful for classrooms studying environmental science, Alaskan history, or civic engagement. Wild at Heart succeeds as biography, conservation primer, and gentle call to stewardship. It reminds children and adults that protecting the Earth begins with paying attention and daring to care.
The narrative begins with Alaska itself as a character: immense, dangerous, and breathtaking. Griffith beautifully captures how the Muries’ early scientific work gradually transformed into something larger than biology. Their encounters with Indigenous communities, their long Arctic journeys, and their careful observation of caribou and wolves taught them that wilderness is not empty space but a delicate web of relationships. The book conveys this ecological insight in language children can grasp without ever talking down to them.
Anna Bron’s illustrations are the soul of the book. Her sweeping landscapes, textured with northern light and weather, communicate both the grandeur and fragility of the Arctic. Small human figures move respectfully through a vast world of animals, rivers, and mountains a visual reminder of the humility that shaped the Muries’ philosophy. Particularly striking are scenes of travel by dogsled and riverboat, where adventure and scientific purpose merge.
Griffith also handles the theme of activism with admirable balance. The shift from field scientists to public advocates culminating in the creation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is presented as a natural moral awakening rather than a political slogan. Young readers see how ordinary dedication, patience, and partnership can change national history.
The backmatter enriches the story with photographs and historical context, making the book useful for classrooms studying environmental science, Alaskan history, or civic engagement. Wild at Heart succeeds as biography, conservation primer, and gentle call to stewardship. It reminds children and adults that protecting the Earth begins with paying attention and daring to care.
June 7, 2025
4.5 stars! This book is packed full of information of the adventures of Olaus and Mardy Murie. The book follows each of them from childhood, marriage, adult life, until death--and all of the adventures, hardships, lessons learned, fights won, etc. This book was written for 1st-4th graders, but I think that it's the older readers (4th+) who will understand and appreciate this book just a bit more. This Non-Fiction title provides a wealth of information, photos, maps, a biography for both Olaus and Mardy, plus others listed in the bibliography. The illustrations throughout this book are simply gorgeous. They appear to be mostly digital, but each illustrations has a watercolor-like quality that shines through each page in vivid color and detail. I would recommend this book to intermediate school/middle grade readers that are looking for information on conservationists, interested in the outdoors, protecting wildlife, etc. (Diamond 25-26)
March 5, 2026
I didn't know the names Olaus and Mardy Murie before this book. Now I can't stop thinking about them. Evan Griffith has written a picture book biography that does something rare it makes conservation feel like a love story, because for the Muries, it was.
They fell in love with each other and with Alaska, often in the same breath. Olaus's work as a biologist took them across the Arctic encountering beauty, danger, and the Indigenous communities who taught them that all living creatures are connected. What struck me most was the shift: they started as scientists studying the wild, and became defenders of it when they saw humans moving in, threatening what they loved. Their fight to protect land and animals led to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge nine thousand square miles, saved because two people paid attention and refused to look away.
They fell in love with each other and with Alaska, often in the same breath. Olaus's work as a biologist took them across the Arctic encountering beauty, danger, and the Indigenous communities who taught them that all living creatures are connected. What struck me most was the shift: they started as scientists studying the wild, and became defenders of it when they saw humans moving in, threatening what they loved. Their fight to protect land and animals led to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge nine thousand square miles, saved because two people paid attention and refused to look away.
April 12, 2024
Olaus and Mardy were both active in their l locales, learning about the local wildlife and environment. In adulthood, they met, fell in love, and married. But part of what drew them together was the love of the environment and the drive to want to preserve as much of it as they could. They did not want to see the beautiful frozen Alaskan wilds or natural beauty of the vast expanses of forests in the states.
They began to work to preserve millions of acres of land, ensuring that the wildlife that lived in those areas would be safe, and that forests would not fall victim to the expansion that was currently happening.
I really enjoyed this read. Great, easy way to share history with younger readers.
They began to work to preserve millions of acres of land, ensuring that the wildlife that lived in those areas would be safe, and that forests would not fall victim to the expansion that was currently happening.
I really enjoyed this read. Great, easy way to share history with younger readers.
October 14, 2024
A beautiful story that follows Olaus and Mardy Murie - a couple that fell in love with each other, and the natural world. On their adventures, they saw how human development changes the natural order of things, destroying habitats of most beloved animals. They acted to make a difference and initiate refuges that protect the animals and their homes, maintaining they remain “…great and wild and free.”
A motivational story that will inspire young conservationists to protect our natural areas. Great read with layers of history, conservationism, environmental stewardship, activism, and the effects of development.
A motivational story that will inspire young conservationists to protect our natural areas. Great read with layers of history, conservationism, environmental stewardship, activism, and the effects of development.
January 5, 2025
A beautifully illustrated book about love, nature, and fighting for what is right. Great backmatter shows real photos of Olays and Mardy, more info about them individually, a bibliography, and notes about contradictions in their lives.
This book is kind of hard to read in the wake of what some people want to do in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but any book of progress might be at this point.
This book is kind of hard to read in the wake of what some people want to do in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but any book of progress might be at this point.
August 17, 2024
I just finished reading this amazing & beautifully illustrated book! What an inspiring story about the pioneers who fought for the creation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the people who changed the world through their passion for nature!!
December 1, 2024
I appreciated not only learning about two pioneers of the wildlife preservation movement, but also the author's note about learning some not-so-nice things about the characters he's championing in his book. Humans are complicated creatures.
January 7, 2025
This was...absolutely beautiful!
From the gorgeous illustrations and vivid colours...
...to the story itself....
...AND the historical aspect!
Note to self: Buy this to read to my children in the future.
From the gorgeous illustrations and vivid colours...
...to the story itself....
...AND the historical aspect!
Note to self: Buy this to read to my children in the future.
January 22, 2025
This is a powerful story about an amazing couple who worked hard to conserve the land animals that they loved so much. The illustrations are gorgeous! We will definitely add this book to our personal library.
May 9, 2024
Gorgeous picture book about two people who cared passionately about the wilderness and the need to protect it. I bet they would have been fun to meet.
ARC from Edelweiss.
ARC from Edelweiss.
November 3, 2024
What a warm approach to environmental history's leaders and thinkers personified by this couple. Young students will respond well to this.
December 22, 2024
This a beautifully illustrated informational/biographical picture book that will work perfectly for readers who are interested in conservation and those who have strived in conservation efforts.
September 9, 2025
Nice story of the people who are responsible for the creation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews