Award-winning free-lance science journalist Nicola Jones, most famous for her work on local weather change and environmental points, ventured into the e-book world with an image e-book on the wildlife rehabilitation efforts for one among North America’s most endangered fowl species, the Northern Noticed Owl. With a readership primarily of scholars, Jones—correctly, I imagine—avoided together with the controversial efforts to kill Barred Owls to be able to save the noticed ones. That difficulty apart, SAVING THE SPOTTED OWL—ZALEA’S STORY is an in depth nonfiction image e-book with a view expands from one particular owl, to Noticed Owls on the whole, to conservation efforts by way of breeding facilities to save lots of different endangered species. The writer is really dedicated to this trigger, and is donating half of her proceeds to the Northern Noticed Owl Breeding Program.
Zalea’s story started when the three-week-old owlet, not but capable of fly, fell from her tree to the forest ground, about so far as the drop from a 7th-story constructing. Scientists had been monitoring that tree, and after they discovered the chick on the bottom, they made to choice to rescue. By the course of the e-book, the readers are launched to actual owls and the true folks working to guard them. One of many last spreads ends with images of Zalea, grown and with chicks of her personal.
Sidebars present further info to present background to Zalea’s story, and are put aside not with packing containers, however by a change in font (from a serif to sans-serif). These sidebars embody specifics concerning the Northern Noticed Owl, info on endangered species with the IUCN Pink-Listing classes, and particulars about a number of the jobs held by biologists.
From an artwork perspective, there’s not a lot cuter than a child owl, with all its fluff and roundness and large eyes. Canadian artist Alexandra Finkeldey’s illustrations seize that unimaginable cuteness, whereas her intricate work for the sections such because the breeding heart, egg improvement, and life cycle floor the e-book in its nonfiction actuality. Her classroom scene is multicultural and inclusive, and her mushy shade palette of greens and browns captures the texture of the Pacific northwest.
In case you assume that image books are only for little youngsters, assume once more. Jeopardy star James Holzhauer turned a multi-millionaire partially by studying image books as a part of his recreation technique. And that is the e-book to learn in the event you’d wish to study extra about Noticed Owls and the folks and applications that make up their security web of safety. And naturally, it’s nice for teenagers that love birds (or youngsters in whom you wish to encourage a love of birds!). Nevertheless, with its dense, wealthy textual content, this isn’t a e-book for youthful youngsters. Goal this on the 7–13 year-olds in your life. With its inclusion of maps, graphics and life cycles, and particulars on job specifics, it’s an ideal match for late elementary by way of center faculty college students and lecture rooms, and for varsity and public libraries.
Saving the Noticed Owl—Zalea’s Story by Nicola Jones, illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey
Youngsters Can Press, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-525-30555-9
$19.99 USA; $21.99 Canada
32 pages, Grade degree 3-7, Lexile 1010 (5th-8th grades)
