The Barn Owl (Animal Lives) [Hardcover]

Sally Tagholm (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: Animal Lives

"Tiny cracks appear on a shell as the first chick gets ready to leave his safe, warm world. He has a special little bump on top of his beak - an egg tooth - which helps him to push his way out." Superbly detailed drawings capture the bird's disarming beauty as it swoops silently in search of prey, offers gifts of food to its mate, and finds a place to nest. The carefully crafted text integrates facts about various aspects of the owl's life cycle into a narrative that informs and fascinates. Parents and kids discovering nature together will find this a thought-provoking introduction to the appreciation of a wild animal in its natural habitat. Includes a fact file, glossary, index, and notes on habitat and conservation.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4A detailed look at the seldom-seen life of a barn owl, this book follows a breeding pair throughout a year of hunting, feeding, courting, mating, nesting, and raising their young. The lyrical text is as lovely as Kitchens beautiful, naturalistic illustrations. The night scenes feature shades of deep blue and gray, with the luminous owls standing out against the darkened skies. The interior barn scenes are done in soft browns and golds. Children will find the realistic images appealing enough to pore over, and they will enjoy hearing the words read over and over. Those needing information for reports will find the basics here, accurately presented. An outstanding offering.Eunice Weech, M. L. King Elementary School, Urbana, IL
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Also known as the screech or monkey-faced owl, the barn owl, which is actually found around the world, is introduced in this volume in the Animal Lives series. Tagholm's clear text is presented in two unequal parts. The first and longest tells the story of a year in the life of a male barn owl as he searches for food and a mate, takes care of the mate and their owlets, and watches the fledglings leave the nest. The second part presents quick facts, including some conservation information about the diminishing numbers of barn owls. Children who already know about owls and their habits may wonder why vole and shrew are not included in the glossary, but Kitchen's appealing illustrations, which are splendid, more than compensate for the minor weakness. Resources where additional information can be obtained (including e-mail addresses) are appended. Karen Morgan

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Kingfisher; 1st edition (April 30, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0753451719
• ISBN-13: 978-0753451717
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,395,623 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great first book about owls, September 8, 2005

By 

K Scheffler (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Barn Owl (Animal Lives) (Hardcover)

The barn owl is certainly a unique species, and is an excellent subject for a book meant to introduce young children to the world of owls, and birds in general. The illustrations are excellent, and the text for the most part is easy to read. The occasional advanced word is encountered, but this is hardly a problem. Overall, an excellent book.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A picturebook with factual information., September 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Barn Owl (Animal Lives) (Hardcover)

Animal Lives: The Barn Owl is a picturebook with factual data, a genre I am generally pleased with. Given the picturebook format, I felt that some of the vocabulary choices would be very difficult for younger or struggling readers, i.e. superefficient sense of hearing, perilous flight. That said, the information about barn owls is well presented and researched, the illustrations are accurate and well-done, and the book includes resources and information about conservation. The author follows one barn owl pair as they raise their first brood of young-from courtship to leaving the nest. A nice insight into the lives of the owls.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Barn Owl, March 26, 2008

By 

sloopy "MM" (OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Barn Owl (Animal Lives) (Paperback)

This is an excellent book to read aloud and share with your class. I teach 5th grade and I read it every year for a great description of
food chains. This year I purchased additional copies so that each student had their own copy to use and build their own food chain.