Review by Horn Book Review
Readers follow a pair of great horned owls and their owlets from winter into the next autumn in this life-cycle narrative told in haiku. The owls' daily life is a struggle for survival, made immediate through Gianferrari's often-suspenseful haiku. Focusing on how the owl parents feed and protect their young, each poem describes a single moment; these are often grouped on a page or spread to portray a complete scene or moment of action. Invoking simple imagery, each haiku delivers only the necessary information, allowing Voss's lush ink and watercolor illustrations to fill in the gaps. The realistic paintings match the tone and mood of the poetry during both quiet and urgent moments. Voss's use of scale, from intense close-ups, such as a harrowing encounter with a red fox ("Red fox launches-pounce! / Up! Down! Up! Down! Up! Down! Up! / Mama screams and dives"), to more distant renderings of the entire family in its treetop habitat provides a visual variety that propels the narrative forward. One magnificent double-page spread features the two young owls making their first attempts at flying amidst the sun-drenched branches of a pine tree: "Trying out her wings / Beating, leaping, teetering / Owlet bobs and springs." Two pages of information about great horned owls and a list of resources round out this splendid package. Eric Carpenter May/June 2020 p.97(c) Copyright 2020. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The great horned owl takes wing through illustrations and haiku.With the assistance of illustrator Voss, here, self-confessed "bird nerd" Gianferrari indulges her "fondness for raptors" by describing the life cycle of North America's most common owl. Gianferrari spotlights a great horned owl family as a male and female make their home in an abandoned squirrel nest, lay three eggs, and then nurture the two owlets who hatch. Choosing the spare, declarative force of haiku to tell her tale, Gianferrari interestingly juxtaposes the raw, predatory nature of these birds, as the parents hunt prey and protect their young from numerous existential threats, with a verse form traditionally reserved for depicting nature's more pastoral scenes: "Papa delivers a snake" and "alights on the nest" with "a skunk for supper" while "crows dive-bomb and caw." Voss' intricate double-page spreads often utilize inset panels to capture the tension of nature in action; especially effective is a gorgeous close-up highlighting mama owl's razor-sharp talons and tawny-flecked eyes as "Red fox launchespounce!" aiming for one of the newly flying owlets. As a bonus to this comprehensive window into nature, Gianferrari's notes include engaging resources to help children better understand the unique qualities of this dominant predator.Vivid and accessible: an illuminating portrait of one of nature's most iconic birds. (Picture book. 3-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
