Reviewed by Heidi Bee Roemer
Book Source: We would like to thank Sleeping Bear Press for donating a copy of this book for review.
Because he wants a special pet that no one else has, a young boy climbs a tree, snatches a baby owl from its nest, and stuffs the frightened owlet into a burlap bag. But as the weeks go by, the lad quickly realizes that caring for the baby bird requires a lot more time and effort than he’s willing to give. The boy soon turns the owlet over to Gijsbert (Nick), an animal specialist. Dedicated to the care and rehabilitation of injured and orphaned animals, Nick and his wife, Robbyn, care for the great horned owl and name it Jackson.
Adopted by an Owl is an inspiring true story about Jackson’s return to the wild.
Readers will be wowed by stunning color artwork of the majestic predator bringing home a dead mouse (or skunk!), being attacked by smaller birds such as robins and chickadees, and soaring alone in the moonlit sky. Embedded in the story are interesting bird facts: the owl’s thick downy feathers provide warmth in the winter, and its brown and gray outer feathers are the perfect camouflage. "From the Author" gives insight to the couple’s work of 20 years rehabilitating a wide variety of wild animals and the special permits needed to care for birds of prey. Accurate, educational, and entertaining, this heartwarming story will surely compliment classroom studies of nocturnal animals and wildlife rescue and animal rehabilitation. Adopted by an Owl is a KIND Children's Honor Book and a Michigan Notable Book. A Teacher’s Guide is available on the publisher’s website: http://www.gale.cengage.com/pdf/TeachersGuides/HazelRidgeGuide.pdf.
This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up hosted this week by Art of Irreverence blog.
Sounds like a great book - and probably one that was much needed when Harry potter hype was at its peak and owls as pets were all the rage. The illustrations are intriguing - the coverb image looks like a photo, but are they actually paintings?
ReplyDeleteI agree, the illustrations are gorgeous! They appear to be oils. One source says that Nick painted wildlife as a youth and graduated from art school in the Netherlands. He immigrated to the U.S. and became the Art Director for the MICHIGAN NATURAL RESOURCES MAGAZINE. Passionate about animals, Nick painted Michigan wildlife for every issue.
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