Spur: A Wolf’s Story

While spending time with her pack, a young wolf named Spur notices the lack of food and other animals in their surrounding area. Her brother explains that big trees and lichen used to exist there long ago, along with animals such as deer, moose, and caribou, but now they are all gone.

In turn, the pack is forced to travel together in search of food. While they are on the move, they hear a thunderous roar that is getting louder and louder. They look up in the sky and panic when they realize that it is a “thunderfly attack”. Panic rises, and they all begin to run away from the loud noise and large shadow that are both increasing by the second—a helicopter.

A silver bullet shot from above whizzes past Spur’s ear and burns through her heel. Spur barks for her brother, but her family has scattered out of sight. Crawling under a shrub to hide for cover, Spur tries to care for her wound. Using all of her senses in an attempt to determine in which direction her brother had travelled, she hobbles aimlessly, knowing that she is lost alone, injured, starving, and still in great danger.

The author’s intent in creating this book is to inform readers about “culling” and to build empathy for wolves. Spur: A Wolf’s Story is written from the perspective of a young wolf without the use of dialogue. Rather, the text is written in a unique way which takes the readers into the mind of Spur in order to gain a deeper understanding of her inner thoughts and feelings. Readers will feel like they are one with Spur. The language and images create a sadness for Spur that is sure to build empathy in an audience of any age. I enjoyed that, although there is sadness within the story, there is a happy ending as Spur reunites with her brother in a tree and lichen-filled environment.

While the message in this story is evident throughout the text, the award-winning author leaves a message to readers at the end of the book which explains the detrimental effects of culling on wildlife, and she shares referenced evidence showing that culling is not leading to the results hoped for by governments who partake in this method of population control. Additionally, Eliza Robertson provides a list of five recommended resources to learn more on this topic.

Although this picture book is appropriate for any early years’ age group, I envision this book leading to excellent classroom discussions, particularly in grade 4 as it relates to the Manitoba curriculum in both science (Animals, Habitats, and Communities) and social studies (Living in Canada). There are many ways that this book can spark authentic inquiry projects for students in the early years. Spur: A Wolf’s Story will make an excellent addition to any school, classroom, or home library.