Runt

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of animal death.

Marion Dane Bauer is known for tales featuring animal characters that blend human character traits with an awareness of the different ways that various species interact with the world. Runt falls into the category of novels that explore life from the animal perspective, resting alongside such titles as Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Sheep by Valerie Hobbs, and The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. In Runt, Bauer explores the makeup of the wolf pack, showing the family dynamics that help wolves survive in harsh environments. While her depiction of wolf behavior and culture holds true in many situations, such as the family unit consisting of two parents and their pups, other aspects of the tale are dramatized through anthropomorphism—bringing human qualities to animals. This combination of an accurate understanding of wolf instincts and an insertion of human behavior makes the story accessible to young readers and allows them to learn about wolves in the wild while considering ways in which they themselves are not so different from wolves (such as being part of a family structure).