Otis the Owl

by Mary Holland

Overview

In beautifully detailed photographs, Mary Holland captures the first few months of a baby barred owl’s life. The huge eyes and fluffy feathers will steal the hearts of readers as they learn how barred owl parents ready their young owlets for the big world outside the nest. Follow along as Otis learns to eat, fights with his sister, and prepares for flight. This nonfiction picture book with a cuddle factor includes a 4-page For Creative Minds section in the back of the book and a 30-page cross-curricular Teaching Activity Guide online. Otis the Owl is vetted by experts and designed to encourage parental engagement. Its extensive back matter helps teachers with time-saving lesson ideas, provides extensions for science, math, and social studies units, and uses inquiry-based learning to help build critical thinking skills in young readers. The Spanish translation supports ELL and dual-language programs. The enhanced ebook reads aloud in both English and Spanish with word highlighting and audio speed control to promote oral language skills, fluency, pronunciation, text engagement, and reading comprehension.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781628559422
Publisher:	Arbordale Publishing
Publication date:	02/10/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	8 MB
Age Range:	4 - 9 Years

About the Author

Mary Holland is a naturalist, nature photographer, columnist, and award-winning author with a life-long passion for natural history. After graduating from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources, Mary worked as a naturalist at the Museum of the Hudson Highlands in New York state, directed the state-wide Environmental Learning for the Future program for the Vermont Institute of Natural Science, worked as a resource naturalist for the Massachusetts Audubon Society, and designed and presented her own "Knee-High Nature Programs" for libraries and elementary schools throughout Vermont and New Hampshire. In addition to Animal Legs, Animal Mouths, and Animal Eyes her children's books include Otis the Owl, A Beaver's Busy Year and Ferdinand Fox's First Summer (NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Books, Moonbeam Bronze award) with Arbordale and Milkweed Visitors, (Science Books and Films' list for the best books of 2006 in the category Children's Books under Zoological Sciences). Mary's book Naturally Curious: a Photographic Field Guide and Month-by-Month Journey Through the Fields, Woods and Marshes of New England won the 2011 National Outdoor Book Award for the Nature Guidebook category. Mary lives in Vermont with her lab, Emma. Visit Mary's blog Naturally Curious with Mary Holland

Editorial Reviews

01/02/2017
Naturalist and photographer Holland (Animal Legs) documents the early life of a baby barred owl. Close-range images show “Otis” emerging from his family’s tree hollow home, followed by his (unnamed) sister. Occasional questions (“Can you find the vole that Otis’ father just brought him?”) encourage children to engage with the photographs that dominate the pages; the text is crammed into a column along the right-hand edges. Holland’s photographs offer engaging shots of the owlets, but because Otis and his sister don’t stray far from the nest, there’s little variation in the images, most of which show them peering from the hole in the tree they inhabit. A closing section of quizzes, owl-related vocabulary, and other details add educational heft to this brief introduction to owls’ daily existence. Ages 4–9. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

"Delightful for nonfiction storytimes everywhere, especially those with an interest in baby animals.—Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA for School Library Journal

From the Publisher

02/01/2017
PreS-Gr 1—This gem introduces children to the charming simplicity of the life of Otis and his barred owl family. His home is a hole in a craggy tree, where readers can observe as he eats under the watchful eye of his parents, squabbles and reconciles with his sister, and prepares for flight. Holland's photography matches the text well. After reading about the adorable Otis, students will be curious to learn more about barred owls. Back matter consists of additional information on anatomy, prey, and regurgitation, subjects that could spark discussion with an adult. VERDICT Delightful for nonfiction storytimes everywhere, especially those with an interest in baby animals.—Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA

School Library Journal

2016-12-06
A photographic guide to a young barred owl's first few months of life. Otis the owl is born in a tree cavity. Holland cannot capture the nest on film because it is too deep, but she does get Otis' wide-eyed look at the world for the first time when he climbs to the cavity opening. He's just a little ball of fluff perched in a tree. Readers get a surprise when another ball of fluff appears. Otis has a sister! Touching on the general skills a young owl must learn to become independent (how to eat, strengthening wings for flight), Holland lightly dips in to this bird of prey's life. Concepts such as predator and prey, nocturnal, and preening are explored, and a smattering of direct questions lend a conversational tone. Alas, Otis never flies triumphantly from the tree—he only perches on a limb at the story's end—so there is not much resolution to this story of animal maturation cast as hero's quest. Large blocks of text squeezed into recto (with one exception) page frames make for a monotonous design, but it does give ample room for photographs, which propel the focus. May inspire budding owl enthusiasts. (additional information, activities) (Informational picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews