On Call Back Mountain

by Eve Bunting, Barry Moser (Illustrator)

Adoring old Bosco, a fire watchman on Call Back Mountain, two boys are saddened when their friend dies but are comforted when they glimpse a running wolf that helps them realize that people who love the land will return to it.

Genres: Picture Books, Death

32 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Also known as Evelyn Bolton and A.E. Bunting.

Anne Evelyn Bunting, better known as Eve Bunting, is an author with more than 250 books. Her books are diverse in age groups, from picture books to chapter books, and topic, ranging from Thanksgiving to riots in Los Angeles. Eve Bunting has won several awards for her works.

Bunting went to school in Ireland and grew up with storytelling. In Ireland, “There used to be Shanachies… the shanachie was a storyteller who went from house to house telling his tales of ghosts and fairies, of old Irish heroes and battles still to be won. Maybe I’m a bit of a Shanchie myself, telling stories to anyone who will listen.” This storytelling began as an inspiration for Bunting and continues with her work.

In 1958, Bunting moved to the United States with her husband and three children. A few years later, Bunting enrolled in a community college writing course. She felt the desire to write about her heritage. Bunting has taught writing classes at UCLA. She now lives in Pasadena, California.

Reviews

[ConnieLettow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the tale of a family living on the edge of the wilderness and an old fire-look-out, Bosco Burek, who uses their home as a base camp on the way up to the fire tower at the beginning of the fire season in June. The 2 young boys, in the story look forward to the fire lookout's annual visit each spring and build a tradition of flashing lanterns at the lookout each night, and watching for him to flash his lantern back at them. One night, the lookout's lantern does not flash back at them, and the mother and father become worried. They take the trek up to the fire tower to see what is wrong, leaving the boys behind. The boys know something is very wrong when they see a helicopter heading to the fire tower, and then there parents return with the lookout's two donkeys, Aida and Traviata, but without the lookout. At one point, the lookout, Bosco Burak, had told the boys that someday the wolves would return to the wilderness, as all things that love the wilderness eventually return. The night after the boys learn that Bosco has died, they finally see their first wolf looking down at them. They see the wolf with it's long legs that look like Bosco's long legs, as Bosco's spirit returning to the wilderness. This story reminds me of my own youth, living on the edge of the wilderness, when the wolves were gone, and fire lookout's were still being used during the fire season. It touches on the lonely work of the lookout's, the pack animals that were used, etc. Today, the wolves have been re-introduced from Alaska, and fires are left to burn all summer. Many fire-towers are no longer employed. It is a good reminder of my own youth. I love the references to opera with the donkeys named after Giuseppe Verdi operas and listening to Enrico Caruso cd's. I also liked the mention of wild foods that I'm familiar with, like elk roast and gooseberry pie used in meals. There is mention of the Pileated woodpecker, the great horned owl "the timer of the night"

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful story and gorgeous illustrations.

[Megan B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4

[Tara Byk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe and Ben are brothers that live on a farm at the bottom of Call Back Mountain, and they always see Bosco Burak, their mountain climber friend, when fire season starts. They love Bosco, and he is super silly and fun and knows a lot about the wilderness. Bosco goes to climb the mountain for the summer, and the boys are sad, but they know they can see his lantern every night as he climbs the mountain and camps each night. One night, the mountain is dark and they can’t see any lantern, which prompts worry and their parents to go look for Bosco on the mountain, returning later with only Bosco’s donkeys, but no Bosco. The boys learn that Bosco had a heart attack and died on the mountain, and they are sad, reminiscing on the good times they had with Bosco, remarking that no one could take his place ever, and then Joe sees a wolf that reminds him of Bosco on the side of a hill. The main theme of this book is that people you love in life might die, but you will still have your memories of them to remember and enjoy, and no one can replace them in your life. Personally, I have lost a grandparent, and I remember hearing that news and being inconsolable for some time. It sucks losing someone, but you can take solace in the fact that everyone still has the memories of them and that no one will forget them. A parent could use this book to read to their children, should they lose a grandparent, or if a grandparent is sick, to prepare them for their death. It could prompt discussions about losing a loved one, and how to deal with that trauma through the character of the story.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice book, v. good family story. not Moser's best, so only four stars

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely current-day wilderness story told by a young boy. Moser's watercolors, especially the nighttime ones with stars or house light are beautiful. Not Moser's best but still very expressive.

[Madeline Wakem · Rating 2 out of 5]

A story about a friend who passes away and has you guessing if he has been turned into a wolf keeping his spirit in the woods forever.