The Barn Owls [Hardcover]

Tony Johnston (Author), Deborah Kogan Ray (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

For at least 100 years, generations of barn owls have slept, hunted, called, raised their young, and glided silently above the wheat fields around an old barn.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The hushed tones of this poetry book describe the lives of generations of owls, who have lived in a redwood barn for "one hundred years/ at least." Johnston (An Old Shell: Poems of the Galapagos) evokes the rhythms of an owl's life through repetition of words and lines, equating the duration of the barn's existence with the infinite expanse of wheat, echoed in a spread of golden sky and grasses ("where wheat and sky/ are one"). The circular text revolves around nature's cycles, as when "one by one owls/ wake up/ and blink/ and hunt for mice/ while moons swell/ and shrink." In watercolor and pencil art, Ray (Jackrabbit) contrasts the glowing, golden tones of the wheat-filled barn with the cool blues of night. Ray does not shy away from the owl's predatory instincts; two illustrations show the fowl firmly grasping a mouse. Among the warmest of paintings are those depicting newly hatched owls with the same enigmatic, masklike faces as those of the parents who gaze down at them: "Old owls watching,/ new owls born/ in the redwood barn/ in the whisper of wheat." Conspiring with the spare text's quiet rhythms, these tender images make this book a natural for easing children to sleep, just as real owls begin their nocturnal wanderings. Ages 4-9. (Feb.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 4-Johnston has created a tribute to the common barn owl. Her creatures doze "in the scent of wheat" and leave "the barn through a bale of light." Golden wheat tones suffuse Ray's watercolor-pencil and paint art. Author and illustrator run lyrical, but they don't lose sight of the bird's daily bread-the mouse. The center spread wordlessly depicts an owl aloft, a mouse dangling lifelessly from its beak, wings cutting through a dark night lit only with the merest sliver of moon. Elsewhere, as grown owls bring the newest offering to their loft-bound babies, sharp eyes will pick out the skeletal remains of previous meals. None of this is gory, just matter-of-fact: "Owls have hunted in this place, mice have hidden in this wheat one hundred years at least." The poetry and paintings will make children want to learn more about these mysterious creatures. No humans intrude on this venture into barn owl life and the species is different, but the book is a natural lead in to Jane Yolen's Owl Moon (Philomel, 1987).
Sue Sherif, Fairbanks North Star Borough Public Library, AK
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing (February 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881069817
• ISBN-13: 978-0881069815
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,551,310 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A quiet, gentle story with good info on barn owls, May 23, 2009

By 

Linda - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Barn Owls (Paperback)

This is another great bedtime story. The rhythmic words and repeating phrases roll off the tongue naturally in slow, calm tones. The watercolor paintings echo the quietness of the owls' lives. The minimal text gives a general feel for barn owls' lives. Simple and lovely.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet, gentle bedtime story, May 13, 2010

By 

sunny swimmer "sunny swimmer" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Barn Owls (Paperback)

My toddler son adores this book, and so do I. The text is melodic and engaging enough to be both captivating and interesting, but not dull in the way so many children's books can be. The illustrations are not as good as the text in my opinion, but still very good and intriguing for young children. This book quickly became a favorite bedtime story in our house, and is one I recommend highly to any parent whose child loves owls or animals in gerneral.