"Noted wildlife photographer Brandenburg journeys to Ellesmere Island to observe an Arctic wolf pack for two months. ... He respects their intellect and perception while never forgetting the danger.... While the text is well done, it is the photos that make this an exceptional book. ... Though it looks like a picture book. the text is sophisticated enough for adults while appealing to students' love of wild creatures. ... This would be an excellent choice for a younger student looking for report material or an older student studying photography. Recommended.

In this compelling photo essay, the author tells of his personal experiences living with a pack of wolves in the Arctic. Brandenburg is a wildlife photographer by trade, and his talent is abundantly evident in both the content and clarity of the photographs. The text is equally engaging.... His opinions about such nonobservable attributes such as the animals' emotions and thought processes add richness to the telling as does his attempt to explain and debunk the "big bad wolf" myths.

[starred review] Gr 3-6 - A brief text and incredible full-color photographs tell the story of Brandenburg's Arctic summer excursion, during which he took pictures of a pack of wolves who seemed to accept his presence and allow him to approach them closely. On the day of his departure, the entire pack appeared at the airstrip to witness his leaving, as if to say good-bye. ... He clearly wants to communicate his awe for these wild creatures, and hopes to dispel any negative stereotypes that exist in readers' minds. His enthusiasm is evident in every well-chosen word. ... [Compared with three other books about wolves,] To the Top of the World is clearly the most captivating.

Beautiful, almost unbelievable color photos of an Arctic wolf pack by a man who, like Farley Mowat in Never Cry Wolf (1963), describes the months he spent in the wild with them.... In the end, the photographer became almost an honorary pack member, though far down in the pecking order. Altogether, a fascinating firsthand account, with some interesting observations about not anthropomorphizing wolves....

Wildlife photographer Brandenburg's account of a summer he spent near the Arctic Circle with a pack of white wolves is spirited by wildness, discovery and danger, yet also gentled by awe, mutual respect and profound emotion. ... Although wary of anthropomorphism, Brandenburg writes that "animals undoubtedly have more feelings than we give them credit for." This subtle, underlying persuasion, while never overwrought, gives the book a magnetic appeal. Ages 8-up.