Bubo: The Great Horned Owl

Rating:
Summary: This powerful book is far from bird-brained
Review: In 1954, twenty years before she won the prestigious Newbery Medal for her classic JULIE OF THE WOLVES, Jean Craighead George wrote several stories with her husband, John George. Each book was focused on a certain wild animal--VULPES, THE RED FOX; VISON, THE MINK; MASKED PROWLER: THE STORY OF A RACCOON; MEPH, THE PET SKUNK; and DIPPER OF COPPER CREEK. These are all classic animal stories by two expert writers and naturalists, although since the '50's Ms. George has been receiving more credit for the books--apparently she did most of the work while her husband contributed details, and back then the man's name was traditionally printed on a book before his female co-author's. [....] All of the stories are written with pretty much the same plot--a wild animal tries to survive in the woods, hunting, raising young, and living with its fellow creatures. But I found BUBO to be a slightly different read. It has fewer humans than the other books, which I liked (I thought the ones in MASKED PROWLER and VULPES were rather distracting and monotonous). Also, the other characters, besides the owls, are more focused on. There is a noticeable chapter in the book when the owls are not mentioned at all--instead the story turns to the titmice, cardinals, and other songbirds of the forest--and readers may grow tired of this. Otherwise, the story revolves around a pair of great horned owls--Bubo and his mate Black Talon. Together the "bird-tigers" of the forest prowl their territory and drive the other creatures, like the songbirds and mice, into terrified submission. They try to raise several broods of young, but the forces of nature continually stand in their way. Will Bubo and Black Talon ever raise successful young? Who will survive under their bird reign of terror? These questions are posed with drama and accuracy. If you love and want to know more about our common American birds, if you are thrilled to hear the hooting of an owl at night, read this book. It should be on any Audubon Society member's reading list. Whether you're young or old, you're sure to enjoy the Georges' compelling nature stories. Also check out Jean Craighead George's more than eighty books--THE EPIC ADVENTURES OF JULIE AND HER WOLVES; THE MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN TRILOGY; THE THIRTEEN MOONS SERIES; and her recent publications such as HOW TO TALK TO YOUR DOG; THE ONE DAY. . .series; MORNING, NOON, AND NIGHT--the list goes on and on, and so does the endless number of wild and fascinating creatures on our planet.

Rating:
Summary: This powerful book is far from bird-brained
Review: In 1954, twenty years before she won the prestigious Newbery Medal for her classic JULIE OF THE WOLVES, Jean Craighead George wrote several stories with her husband, John George. Each book was focused on a certain wild animal--VULPES, THE RED FOX; VISON, THE MINK; MASKED PROWLER: THE STORY OF A RACCOON; MEPH, THE PET SKUNK; and DIPPER OF COPPER CREEK. These are all classic animal stories by two expert writers and naturalists, although since the '50's Ms. George has been receiving more credit for the books--apparently she did most of the work while her husband contributed details, and back then the man's name was traditionally printed on a book before his female co-author's. [....] All of the stories are written with pretty much the same plot--a wild animal tries to survive in the woods, hunting, raising young, and living with its fellow creatures. But I found BUBO to be a slightly different read. It has fewer humans than the other books, which I liked (I thought the ones in MASKED PROWLER and VULPES were rather distracting and monotonous). Also, the other characters, besides the owls, are more focused on. There is a noticeable chapter in the book when the owls are not mentioned at all--instead the story turns to the titmice, cardinals, and other songbirds of the forest--and readers may grow tired of this. Otherwise, the story revolves around a pair of great horned owls--Bubo and his mate Black Talon. Together the "bird-tigers" of the forest prowl their territory and drive the other creatures, like the songbirds and mice, into terrified submission. They try to raise several broods of young, but the forces of nature continually stand in their way. Will Bubo and Black Talon ever raise successful young? Who will survive under their bird reign of terror? These questions are posed with drama and accuracy. If you love and want to know more about our common American birds, if you are thrilled to hear the hooting of an owl at night, read this book. It should be on any Audubon Society member's reading list. Whether you're young or old, you're sure to enjoy the Georges' compelling nature stories. Also check out Jean Craighead George's more than eighty books--THE EPIC ADVENTURES OF JULIE AND HER WOLVES; THE MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN TRILOGY; THE THIRTEEN MOONS SERIES; and her recent publications such as HOW TO TALK TO YOUR DOG; THE ONE DAY. . .series; MORNING, NOON, AND NIGHT--the list goes on and on, and so does the endless number of wild and fascinating creatures on our planet.