Gray Wolf's Search
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Overview
In this wonderful original tale, a young boy is told by his uncle, the village shaman, that his role in their clan and tribe depends on his finding and getting to know a very important person. Gray Wolf journeys through the woods and seashore around his home and through the seasons for a full year in the course of his search.Through conversations with his brothers and sisters in the woods and waters—Bear, Eagle, Whale, Beaver, Owl and Wolf—Gray Wolf makes a wonderful discovery about the value of each and every one of us.
As children follow Gray Wolf on his journey they learn about village life among coastal peoples of the Pacific Northwest. This beautiful hardcover book is richly illustrated by the distinctive full-color artwork of Gary Peterson and fourteen original drawings.
Parents will enjoy reading this book aloud as much as young readers will enjoy following the story themselves.
Editorials
Children's Literature -
Young Gray Wolf, a member of the Wolf clan on the northwest coast, is told by his uncle, medicine man Raven's Head, that he must spend a year in the task of searching for "a very important person" and getting to know that person well. In his search, Gray Wolf consults Sister Bear, Brother Whale, Sister Eagle, (just plain) Beaver, and an unnamed wolf; all of them tell him that they have not seen any human that appears more important than any other, or indeed, more important than Gray Wolf himself. Raven's Head then tells Gray Wolf that he has been looking in the wrong places: "Look closer to home. Look within." A vision by a misty marsh shows him the image of all his people reflected in the water, while he hears the chant, "You! You! You!" The lesson Gray Wolf has learned, then, is that "no one is more important than another. Each one of us is a very important person." While the message, repeated in the book's dedication "May all children grow up feeling special," is a valuable one, it is not really made convincing here. The various animal consultants all seem to be saying not that all humans are important, but that none are, and we are not given any reason in the story to think otherwise.School Library Journal
Gr 2-5
A Native American boy is charged with the task by his shaman uncle of finding someone important and getting to know that person well. During his quest, Gray Wolf talks with a bear, a killer whale, and other animals and asks them if they have seen an important person. All of them reply that one human appears to be much like another to them. Finally, Gray Wolf has a vision of his village and realizes that all people are important. The story and ending are predictable, and the moral is heavy-handed. The characters and story are not based on an authentic legend and are merely stereotypes of Native American culture. The most redeeming quality of this offering is the illustrations. Peterson's colors and textures capture the feel of the American northwestern coastal regions. He skillfully incorporates Native American designs into otherwise pictorial representations and infuses each page with light. Yet even a few of these pictures seem idealized. In Jon J. Muth's The Three Questions (Scholastic, 2002), a boy goes in search of the answers to important questions and discovers them through his own experience. It is a better choice for those looking for a book about a child's search for truth.
—Donna CardonCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.