Q&A with Karen B. Winnick

 

 

Karen B. Winnick is the author and illustrator of the new book Why Wolves Matter: A Conservation Success Story. Her other books include Can You Spot the Leopard?.

 

Q: What inspired you to create Why Wolves Matter?

 

A: As an animal lover, I was inspired to write Why Wolves Matter because the more I learned about wolves, through reading books and watching documentaries, the more I developed respect and concern for them. Wolves care for and watch over their families just as we do, and they hold an important place in the balance of nature.

 

Q: How did you research your book, and did you learn anything that especially surprised you?

 

A: I’d read about wolves and Yellowstone National Park in books, newspapers, and magazines. About how wolves had once lived in the Park, but had been hunted until no wolves were left. Without the wolves, the circle of nature was broken.

 

Elk herds grew too big, overgrazing trees and vegetation. Without trees to perch and nest, birds flew away. Without shade to cool the water, fish swam away. Without wood, beavers couldn’t build dams and create ponds. Waterfowl had no place to float and fish had no place to spawn. Without huckleberry bushes, bears went hungry,

 

I visited the Park and spoke to experts. For a time, I was on the Board of Defenders of Wildlife and reached out to other wolf experts all over the country. I learned from my research the importance of the top predator to the natural order of things.

 

From an old National Geographic magazine, I read Nez Perce Tribal member Dan Spaulding’s quote, “Wolves make the circle whole again.” It sparked the way I wanted to tell this story in a picture book for children.

Q: What do you see as common perceptions and misconceptions about wolves?

 

A: In children’s books of the past, wolves have always been portrayed as the “bad guys”— Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs (and the Big Bad Wolf who will huff, and puff, and blow their house down). Terrible! Wolves are lifetime mates, caring parents, loyal to their packs. Teaching children bad stuff about wolves hasn’t helped.

 

As for adults, there’s a huge divide between people who love wolves (me, included) and people who don’t. Writing this book was another way for me to show children, and perhaps some adults, why wolves matter.

 

Q: What do you hope kids (and adults) take away from the book?

 

A: I hope my readers will feel empathy for wolves and develop respect for their importance in nature. I hope they become aware of the importance of preserving natural habitats and the animals that reside there.

 

I hope they will understand the interconnectedness of all things in nature. And I hope they come to understand the crucial place of top predators in keeping the circle whole.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’ve been working on two manuscripts. One is about Abraham Lincoln writing the Emancipation Proclamation. The other is about a kid who wants to save all the animals.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I love creating picture books and presenting them to kids. It keeps wonderment and curiosity alive in me. I learn so much!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. This Q&A was created in partnership with Karen B. Winnick. Readers who join this virtual tour can win a hardcover copy of Why Wolves Matter: A Conservation Success Story. One lucky winner will receive a signed hardcover copy and a $25 gift card to Amazon. Don’t miss out on your chance to win!