A Wolf Called Fire: A Voice of the Wilderness Novel

by Rosanne Parry, Mónica Armiño (Illustrator)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Inspired by an actual wolf pup, A Wolf Called Fire packs the same emotional impact as A Wolf Called Wander, with plenty of thematic resonance to boot.

The stand-alone companion to Rosanne Parry’s New York Times bestseller A Wolf Called Wander tells the wilderness survival story of the wolf pup known as Warm and is illustrated in black and white throughout. This Voice of the Wilderness Novel features informational back matter, including a map.

Warm is the smallest pup, the one his father calls the heart of the pack. But all Warm sees is his bigger brothers Sharp and Swift, even his sisters Pounce and Wag, winning all the wrestling matches. Just as Warm is finding his place, enemy wolves destroy and scatter the pack. Warm helps lead the pups away from the fight, only to find himself alone with four pups to defend and feed. Can he be both the heart and the head of a new pack? Does he have to choose the aggressive leadership style of his father and brothers? Or is there another way?

A Wolf Called Fire is a stand-alone companion novel to A Wolf Called Wander. It’s inspired by Wolf 8, a real Yellowstone wolf who was the smallest of his pack and constantly bullied by his bigger brothers. Wolf 8 survived a tumultuous first year and grew up to be a different sort of leader—one who fought many rival wolves to submission but never killed any. He had a rare talent for mentoring young wolves and became the patriarch of the largest and most successful pack in Yellowstone by choosing a more collaborative and generous leadership style. Features black-and-white illustrations throughout and extensive back matter, including a map.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063415133
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/04/2025
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	992
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Rosanne Parry is the author of the bestselling novels A Wolf Called Wander, A Whale of the Wild, and A Horse Named Sky as well as The Wolf Effect, a picture book illustrated by Jennifer Thermes. These “Voice of the Wilderness” stories center the voices of wild animals and focus on their struggle to survive in a dangerous and changing world. Based on rigorous research and inspired by the real animals of the western United States, Rosanne’s books are treasured by teachers and librarians and adored by animal-loving readers of all ages. The author lives with her family in Portland, Oregon, and writes in a treehouse in her backyard. 

Mónica Armiño is an illustrator, character designer, and background artist. She is the illustrator of Rosanne Parry’s animal adventure novels A Wolf Called Wander and A Wolf Called Fire. The artist lives in Madrid, Spain.

Editorial Reviews

A wolf cub charts his own path to pack leadership. . . . Parry’s short sentences create a quickly moving story with deep emotional currents. . . . Armiño’s numerous, beautifully detailed black-and-white illustrations add ample emotion and dynamic movement. Environmentally conscious readers, animal lovers, and those with a taste for nonfiction will be thrilled by the extensive backmatter. . . . An exciting and thoughtful portrait inspired by a real animal who succeeded by being different.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Middle schoolers will instantly identify with Warm. . . . This wolf tale presents a diversity of ideologies and perspectives, all of which are sure to help readers reflect on where and how they fit into the world. Highly ­recommended.” — School Library Journal

“During this tale of self-discovery and growth, readers will root for [an] underdog who proves his mettle, leading in his own unique way. . . . Armiño’s detailed black-and-white illustrations are charming, full of realism and personality, making this a winsome package for young readers who love wildlife adventures. Another winner from a proven author.” — Booklist

“A suspenseful, dramatic plot spins above the big grounding question of how we can survive and live with one another with respect and consideration. Dynamic illustrations along with extensive back matter (including essays on wolf biology, animal tracks, forest ecology, and youth climate activism) make for an appealing presentation.” — Horn Book Magazine

From the Publisher

01/01/2025

Gr 4–6—Warm, the smallest and most nurturing member of a wolf pack, is forced to flee with his younger siblings when a rival pack attacks, killing their mother and father. Unaccustomed to being in charge, he discovers that his unique blend of talents make him aptly fit for a leadership role. But when Warm learns that other members of his pack have been assimilated by the enemy wolves, he embarks on a quest to rescue them. In doing so he discovers unexpected allies and important truths about himself. Middle schoolers will instantly identify with Warm. He gets pushed around a lot, is always hungry, and worries about finding his place. The book is notable in that it builds positive boy culture: rather than addressing the old trope of boys having a "nurturing side," it identifies nurturing (warmth) as a value in and of itself, a virtue to be celebrated. Though this is billed as a stand-alone novel, it offers an additional perspective on the events that take place in A Wolf Called Wander, as well as a refreshing approach to leadership, and reaches depths that book only probed. VERDICT This wolf tale presents a diversity of ideologies and perspectives, all of which are sure to help readers reflect on where and how they fit into the world. Highly recommended.—Benjamin Ludwig

School Library Journal

2024-11-09
A wolf cub charts his own path to pack leadership.

In this novel based on the life of a real wolf who was brought to Yellowstone National Park in 1995 as part of a conservation project, a young cub named Warm reckons with not being the biggest, strongest, or loudest at howling among his littermates. When an attack by another pack leaves him to care for a set of younger siblings—Leap, Snap, Quiver, and Yowl—Warm struggles to keep the cubs alive despite never having made a killing blow of his own. Even as his survival skills are tested, Warm develops a uniquely compassionate outlook that helps him navigate the recombination of packs and other dangers. Parry’s short sentences create a quickly moving story with deep emotional currents. The immediacy of Warm’s first-person voice and the abundant sensory descriptions pull readers right into the animals’ world, though the large cast of wolves can be difficult to keep track of. Armiño’s numerous, beautifully detailed black-and-white illustrations add ample emotion and dynamic movement. Environmentally conscious readers, animal lovers, and those with a taste for nonfiction will be thrilled by the extensive backmatter, which includes a darling hand-drawn map of Warm’s journey as well as photos and abundant information on wolf biology, recovery efforts, and the ecology of the American West.

An exciting and thoughtful portrait inspired by a real animal who succeeded by being different. (author’s note, resources)(Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews