FROM SARAH:

One of our all-time favorite audiobooks and one of my most frequent recommendations. Just the right amount of thrill and suspense to keep you turning pages. Your kids will never look at an owl the same again! (Heads-up, if you've got a particularly sensitive kiddo, wait until about age 7 or 8 for this one.) Also wonderful on audio (Audible | LibroFM).

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

The second in author Avi’s Tales of Dimwood Forest Series, this tale features a large cast of animal characters, including Poppy, a shy mouse and Mr. Ocax, a great-horned owl and the authority of the forest. As Poppy begins to question the unjust authority of their woodland world, she embarks on an adventurous tale and finds inner bravery.

FROM SARAH:

A charming picture book biography about young John James Audubon, whose curiosity and dedication inspire a love for birds and nature. The illustrations by Melissa Sweet can't be beat. Fabulous back matter.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

John James Audubon was a boy who loved the out-of-doors more than the in. He was a boy who believed in studying birds in nature, not just from books.

FROM SARAH:

A gentle, lyrical lullaby perfect for bedtime snuggles. The way it weaves together nature and love makes it a comforting favorite in our home. Also, I'm a huge fan of Melissa Sweet!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

With rhyming text, this soothing bedtime book is an ode to baby birds everywhere and sleepy children home safe in their own beds. As a mother describes to her child how many species of birds nest, from pigeons on concrete ledges to owls in oak tree boles to swallows above barn doors.

FROM SARAH:

Gail Gibbons is a perpetual favorite around here, and this book is both informative and captivating, filled with stunning illustrations and fascinating owl facts. Your library very likely has it.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

With their striking appearance and distinctive hoot, hoot, owls are one of the most recognizable birds in the world.  But did you know there are more than 140 types of owls living in the world

FROM SARAH:

A classic! This one is on all the homeschooling booklists, and no wonder why. It's funny and unforgettable. Also, it's short... and you know how much I love a well-written, short book! 😉

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Every child needs to have a pet. No one could argue with that. But what happens when your pet is an owl, and your owl is terrorizing the neighborhood? In Farley Mowat’s exciting children’s story, a young boy’s pet menagerie—which includes crows, magpies, gophers and a dog—grows out of control with the addition of two cantankerous pet owls.

FROM SARAH:

A luminous book that captures the life of a family of owls through haiku. Definitely worth tracking this one down!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Watch as a pair of great horned owlets peep and squeak in their feathered nest. Mama and Papa hunt for food and fend off predators while the chicks grow strong enough to hop and flap between the branches of their tree, then leap and fly away, ready to explore the wild world around them.

FROM SARAH:

Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! These illustrations are precisely what we mean when we say the best books have pictures you want to look at a little longer than necessary. And Joyce Sidman is one of the best lyrical poets for children. Don't miss this one!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Welcome to the night, where mice stir and furry moths flutter. Where snails spiral into shells as orb spiders circle in silk. Where the roots of oak trees recover and repair from their time in the light. Where the porcupette eats delicacies—raspberry leaves!—and coos and sings.

Come out to the cool, night wood, and buzz and hoot and howl—but do beware of the great horned owl—for it’s wild and it’s windy way out in the woods!

FROM SARAH:

An owl bent on becoming a heroic knight shows whether he has what it takes to be as valiant as he imagines. This is laugh-out-loud funny and has gorgeous illustrations. Worth adding to your permanent collection!

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

A determined Owl builds strength and confidence in this medieval picture book about the real mettle of a hero: wits, humor, and heart. 

Since the day he hatched, Owl dreamed of becoming a real knight. He may not be the biggest or the strongest, but his sharp nocturnal instincts can help protect the castle, especially since many knights have recently gone missing. While holding guard during Knight Night Watch, Owl is faced with the ultimate trial—a frightening intruder. It’s a daunting duel by any measure. But what Owl lacks in size, he makes up for in good ideas.

FROM SARAH:

Oh goodness, there is everything to love about this book, new from Kate DiCamillo. Darling and heart-warming, this one feels like a "lion and mouse" kind of fable to me. I can't wait to see the rest of the series.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Orris the rat lives alone in an old barn surrounded by his treasures, until the day his solitude is disrupted by a sudden flutter of wings and a loud screech. A small owl has gotten caught in a trap in the barn. Can Orris “make the good and noble choice” (as the king on his prized sardine can might recommend) and rescue the owl, despite the fact that owls and rats are natural enemies? And if he does, will he be ready for the consequences? With humor and tenderness, two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo brings us this first of three tales celebrating unlikely friendship and the power of sharing stories and doing the right thing.