Customer Reviews

Owl Puke, the Book

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. It appears to be designed to appeal to kids, but turns out to also have stunning array of fantastic information, often more than you find in "serious" owl books (e.g., "North American Owls", or "Owls the Silent Fliers"). Also, maybe less than half of the book is directly about "owl puke", the rest being jam-packed with sections on owl calls, hearing and vision, hunting technique, how they stay cool, mating, digestion, puking in the animal kingdom (that's right, horses can't puke), a recipe for "owl puke" candy, etc. And naturally if your intent is to examine some owl pellets, then of course this is a great book for that too. Despite the great (and accurate) technical content, it would not be intimidating for a youngster to read. And it's sprinkled with humor. Highly recommended (by someone over 40).

What a great book on owls! I used it in a general college class for 63 non-science majors. They mentioned their apprehension about digging into "owl puke," but they really got into it. I wandered around, helping them ID bones and prey species. The student newspaper put a photo of some of the students digging through their pellets on the front page. One quiz was dedicated to owls, so I "knew" they would read the book (which was very well organized and written). My biggest complaint was the amount of trash the box generated after 63 of these kits were used. Plan on bringing separate bags for the cardboard and plastic trays and take them to a recycling facility! Finally, many of these students didn't want to keep the book, and the bookstore won't buy it back (because it is part of a kit). Although I encouraged students to keep it, or pass it on to younger family members, I offered extra credit for students who donated their Owl Puke book to local schools. This was a popular option! I look forward to using this book next year.

I love this book!! My son couldn't wait to open it and he learned so many good things from the skeleton. Definetly a great book for youngsters!

It's the coolest concept - and kids really gravitate to it. But, dissecting an owl pellet turns out to be a very detail-oriented task, best accomplished with tweezers and magnifier glasses. Still, with the right kid, it's great fun wading through all the pieces to "solve the mystery" of what your owl ate.

My son and I had a blast doing the dissecting, but he paid nearly no attention to the book. He's 10 years old and definitely has some focus issues. I can't say I'd recommend it for any but the most patient or more mature kids.

My 8 year old son was so excited to get this book. Naturally, he loves anything gross and Owl Puke combined that natural affinity for the 'yuck' factor with an entertaining (and educational) read. (Great title, too). I highly recommend this book to parents everywhere and look forward to seeing what's next from Hammerslough!

This is what it is. It's an owl pellet for you to dissect. (For the uninitiated, owls cough up undigestible bits of their prey in "pellets" of bone, fur, and the like.)

It comes with a book to tell you about owls and owl pellets. While Hammerslough could have gotten away with a 5-6 page pamphlet, she has given us a much longer and more serious booklet. It's full of information for older kids, while young kids will just want to tear into the pellet.

One of life's little joys is the puzzle of figuring out whether your own ate a rodent or a bird. We started out finding little bones that we impossible to identify, but as you go along and find feet or skull parts the answer starts to emerge. Enjoy.

First of all, don't get hung up on the gross factor - it's not bad at all.

What we recieved was a dry wadded up hairball (wrapped in foil and in a bag) that when picked through contained the bones of a small rodent. It's about as gross as digging through your vacuum cleaner looking for something that got sucked up.

My son spotted this on the store shelf and has been bugging me to get it for some time. I finally gave in and am so glad I did. He and I anxiously picked away at the Owl Puke for several nights and had a great time discovering and learning about what we found - skull fragments, jaw bones, leg bones, etc.

The book has been a great help too. In addition to providing a fair amount of information on owls, bones and the food chain, there is a section that illustrates the bones you might find in your pellet. Could be a mouse, bird, mole, vole, etc.

Worth every penny to see my son's eyes light up with each new discovery. And any children's game or toy that is interesting/fun for adults too gets an A+ in my book.

This very entertaining book is packed with fascinating and fun facts about owls and their prey--a great gift for any kid interested in science. We loved dissecting the pellet and putting the skeleton together. A winner!

Gave this to my husband's 11 year old son. It was received well. He was into it. That's a hard age to buy for and this was a hit.

You have no idea how often I see an owl outside my window and wonder about its vomit. Is it edible? Can I use to fight infection on cuts? or even is it magic? The wonderful color and odor of owl vomit is truly alluring and finally there is a book out where I can study all its life changing properties. This book even comes with a bonus: OWL PELLETS. FREAKING SCORE. This book is a must read! Stock up on these prize winning babies and gift them to the whole family!