Wolf Island

by Celia Godkin

Wolf Island is a vivid, full colour portrait of nature, and the fragile balance of a natural ecosystem. Set on an island in Northern Ontario, the Wolf Island story, based on an actual event, is a moving chronicle of what happens when the highest link in a food chain is removed. The resultant population growth, food shortage, and starvation affect every member of the chain. A family of wolves leave their island environment. Although, at first, their absence is unnoticed, nature's delicately balanced ecosystem comes undone over a period of months, and the mice, rabbits, squirrels, and even owls fight for survival. Finally, the accidental return of the wolf family to their home restores the island habitat to health. Celia Godkin's dramatic, full colour illustrations will inspire readers of all ages. Her scientific portrait of an ecosystem and its component species will not be easily forgotten.

Genres: Picture Books, Science, Animals, Childrens, Canada, School, Nonfiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

After a number of years working as a biologist Celia decided to go back to school to train as a scientific illustrator. She completed the diploma course at the Ontario College of Art and an illustrated Master’s thesis in zoology at the University of Toronto, and began work as a freelance artist, illustrating textbooks and scientific papers.


In 2004, after many years of living in Toronto, Celia and her husband, O. John Hawkins, moved to Eastern Ontario. Here she continues working on books and - a new line of work - designing coins for the Royal Canadian Mint.

Reviews

[Mirjam]

I don't know if the original edition is just not available on GR or what, but I didn't read the 2007 reprint, I read the 1989 version.

[Somaiya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am SOOO happy to have finally found this book. This is the first book I remember from my childhood after ABC and picture books (my parents love to read, and gave me books as soon as I could hold them), and I had been trying to find it for so long. I did not remember the name, or the author or anything, just that some wolf cubs were separated from mommy and daddy and had to live alone on an island for a long time because the lake that was frozen when they first crossed it had melted. This book holds a great sentimental value for me.

[Octavia Cade · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about an ecosystem - based on a real event, apparently. By accident, a family of wolves leaves the small island where they live. As apex predators, their presence had been keeping the island ecosystem in balance, but without the wolf family, the deer population increases. They eat more food, and there's less for rabbits and mice, and less too for the owls that feed on these small herbivores. All the creatures on the island begin to starve, until the wolves are able to return to the island and ecological balance is restored.

It's attractively illustrated, but the real strength here is the science it conveys. Would be a great book for teaching kids about basic ecology and conservation science!

[Terri Shown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent children book about the balance of nature and the circle of life. Very well done and written interesting narrative manner. This one will be staying on our shelves for years to come.

[Christopher Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical Fiction
Middle Grades (4-6)
This was a fascinating read - to think about the ways some animals can change the course of an entire ecological system. The illustrations are nice and relaxing, which is good because it's such a sad subject.

[Carine B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jolie fable sur la diversité et l’importance de la biodiversité.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story of the food chain!

[Jezire C Akin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to teach kids about food chains.

[Yang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so happy to have this book. this book can teach me so m any thing, so this book is by Celia Godkin. I already read it in Chinese. It's a very good story. I can tell two things in this story, one is the when the wolf cubs were separated from mommy and daddy and had to live alone on an island for a long time because the lake that was frozen when they first crossed it had melted. another thing is the balance in the island is very important in an ecosystem, it show us when the wolves left what happening in the island. From this book I can tell parental love is so great. And in our life we must keeping balance for everything. That story let me remembered the other story. A leader in eco-management let the first day he took office staff cut those bushes, remove the stray leaves, forest suddenly become clean in a day, but a month later, the forest all withered because there is dense withered, withered leaves are often new leaf nutrition. They eliminate the impact of the ecological balance.
I think my classmates will like it too, I will read more story by Celia Godkin. Because that kind of story can teach me so many things.

[Bahar · Rating 5 out of 5]

One day the cubs were playing, the raft began to drift slowly out into the lake. Suddenly, there was noting but water all around the raft. They couldn't swim so the adult wolves went into water to help. The raft drifted slowly over to the mainland. Now the there was no wolves in the island. The island was out of balance. There were now many deer on the island, because now there wasn't any wolves to hunt the deer. Rabbits had lees to eat, because the deer were eating their food. Many animal on the island were hungry. Winter came, and weather got colder over days. Ice began to form in the water around the island and along the mainland. One day there was ice all the way from the mainland to the island. The wolf family crossed the ice and returned to their old home.



I liked this story, because I learned so many thing about life cycle. And it was so interesting how the island changed over days without one group of animal.

[Kate Hastings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grades 3-5. Narrative nonfiction, based on true events. A great story about what happens when the food chain collapses because of the loss of a keystone species. Wolves are suddenly not around on a small island-- so certain populations boom, create scarce food resources for others, and then everyone is hungry. Until the wolves come back.

[Courtney]

This book is a great resource for discussing eco-systems. The story shows the delicate balance of animals and plants when the top of the food chain- Wolves leave the island. This book could be used from grade 1st-through 5th either as stand-alone story or as introduction to eco-systems.

[Hatka Kecalovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is Wolf Island by Celia Godkin. This book can be used in 2 to 4 grade classrooms. This book can be used for lessons on the ecosystems and food chains. This book chronicles what might happen when the highest link in a food chain is removed.

[Leona · Rating 5 out of 5]

explains the importance of balance in an ecosystem by showing kids what happens when the wolves leave the island. Not a read aloud book to a group.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a simple book of cause and effect. It is o.k. The illustrations are nice though.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A look at what happens to an ecosystem when a link in the food chain is removed.