The Wolf-Birds

The Wolf-Birds written and illustrated by Willow Dawson (2015)

The ravens search the winter snow for something to eat. They follow a pack of four wolves hunt a large bison. Unfortunately, the bison kicks one of the wolves and kills it. Now there are only three wolves hunting in the winter snow. They chase a rabbit which gets away. Then the wolves hear the cry of the ravens. The raven dip their wings. The wolves follow them and find a pair of starving deer. The wolves give chase and kill the weaker one with the injured leg. The deer provides food for the wolves and their families, and for the ravens who led them to the deer. All the animals wait for spring to arrive with plentiful food.

You don’t often see a picture book which deals with the death of an animal. This one actually shows two animals dying, one is mourned and the other is devoured. This may not be the best choice for a very young child, but an older child would appreciate the story and the artwork.

This would be a great book to share while studying food chains in the wild.

Take a look at these ideas to demonstrate understanding of the concept.