Oscar and Olive Osprey tells the heartwarming story of two ospreys that come to live at the end of Janie Suss' pier on a platform built just for them. Janie watches as the two ospreys build their nest, raise three babies, and defend themselves and their offspring against predators. In addition to the exciting story, readers learn about ospreys' habitats, migration patterns, and other fun and interesting facts. As the young birds learn to hide, fly, and catch fish-all at a different pace and with different levels of success-children can relate to their own learning experiences. Filled with amazing color photographs, Oscar and Olive Osprey will delight children and parents alike, and inspire an emotional connection between their own lives and the lives of these beautiful creatures. For ages 9-12
They told her not one would come.
But Janie Suss, a middle child in a family of 11 siblings, knew when to hold her ground. While the doubting eyes of her neighbors gazed on, she instructed her husband as he built the platform at the end of their Chesapeake Bay pier. She knew the ospreys would come. They just had to see the possibility of a home.
To her delight, the very next day a male osprey carried stick after stick to the newly crafted platform to build his nest. It wasn't long before he and his mate called Janie's pier home. Janie lovingly named them Oscar and Olive and watched them attentively as their family grew. The more she observed, the more she saw her own family reflected in the lives of the birds. It was all there--the sibling rivalries, the awkwardly learned lessons, the empty nest syndrome and, of course, the unfailing support system. Janie channeled the family of birds into the subject of a children's book, Oscar and Olive Osprey: A Family Takes Flight.
"It was uncanny," says Janie, a mother of two. "Just like my home, I saw the give-and-take from the siblings. The older would teach the younger, who would then teach the youngest. Being the sixth child of 11, I too played both the role of the teacher and student."
The parallels didn't end there.
Time after time, Janie saw her loved ones reflected in the behavior of the birds. Oscar's determination to provide for his family reminded her of her own father, a WWII veteran who worked his way through law school. When Janie looked at Olive, she saw her mother, the woman who not only raised 11 children, but who also owned her own beauty shop and worked full time to insure the best for her flock.
"My parents set an incredible example for what a family could be. After 65 years, they are still happily married. They gave us an understanding that love means working and staying together, and that family always comes first," says Janie.
With her book, Oscar and Olive Osprey: A Family Takes Flight, she hopes children can realize the wonder of being part of a family, while gaining an interest for nature and wildlife.
Janie smiles when she explains that she's known as the "Bird Woman" in her community. She's proud of her role in Holland Point, her beloved neighborhood on the Chesapeake Bay. There, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Kip, and looks forward to the regular visits of her two adult children, Gus and Sadie, who have come to accept their mother's unending fascination with the birds at the end of the pier. Janie is an active member of the Holland Point Citizens' Association, and in addition to writing, works at a real estate title company. Visit her website at www.oscarandolive.com
