An Illustrated Classics Editions book; original story by Jack London
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Having just finished reading The Call of the Wild myself, I knew immediately that my children would love to hear the story of Buck and his adventures in Alaska. I was right. Though I read only 2-3 chapters per night to my 5 and 7 year olds, they talked about Buck all day long! They loved the story and were often caught up in the emotions of all that Buck experienced.
Most striking to me were the many conversations about death that sprang from the story. Initially, at the death of Curly (who was attacked by a small huskie and then mauled by a ring of starving dogs), the kids knew that this was no ordinary children’s story. They were saddened at the loss of this dog whom they barely knew, and it offered me a wonderful opportunity to discuss with them death, its permanence, and the difference between the deaths of dogs and people. These discussions were important to have, because much later in the book, they witnessed their hero, Buck, attack and kill a number of Native Americans who had murdered his owner, John Thornton. Was this the right thing for Buck to do? Was it heroic? Again, it afforded us wonderful opportunities to discuss morality in terms of people vs. animals.
This adaptation by Mitsu Yamamoto of Jack London’s classic novel follows the original story very well, which isn’t all that surprising since both books appear to be about the same length. Yamamoto was able to fit virtually every important scene and emotion into the tale, and I felt it to be a fantastic review of the novel itself.
My children have really grown to love these Illustrated Classics, which pleases me immensely. I hope to review some of my favorite novels from the past, and even to get a taste of those I’ve never taken the time to read. Next on the docket, I think, is Heidi. My daughter keeps complaining that there aren’t enough girls in the stories we read, and I admit it’s true. Hopefully that classic tale will scratch her itches and inspire them both to love reading even more.
©2018 E.T.