The Book of North American Owls
Grade 4-7?Sattler and Zallinger return to the successful format of The Book of Eagles (Lothrop, 1989) to showcase another raptor. Limiting themselves to those found in North America allows children to focus on those they might actually see in the wild, but still offers detail on a great variety of sizes, behaviors, and habitats. Sattler begins with a personal childhood story and often introduces a new topic with anecdotal narrative to draw in youngsters. Historical and scientific background information is given, followed by a clearly organized picture of the bird's life cycle and place in nature. At one point, the author veers too close to fiction, translating an owl's mating calls into English, and she espouses a positive view of its place in the ecosystem (a position some farmers and loggers take issue with). On the whole, though, this is a balanced, entertaining, and informative selection. The second half of the book is a pictorial glossary of owls that highlights each of the 21 species that live on this continent; it includes good range maps, specific behavioral and physical facts, and calls. The attractive drawings, clean format, and generous size contribute to this appealing treat for nature fans.?Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library SystemCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.