Owl books and links

We've been watching Molly, the most famous barn owl in the world, as she sits on her nest with first eggs, and now owlets plus eggs at The Owl Box on UStream.  Three of the little ones have hatched, and now we're waiting for the last two to make an appearance.  We've learned a lot just from watching and following the chat, which is moderated and kid-friendly (but the social stream is not, just FYI).  I'm pulling together a list of books and other resources that have been helpful in the past and are currently sources that we turn to as we watch Molly's family expand, hoping that others will find it useful.

Books

picture books:

All About Owls, by Jim Arnosky
The Barn Owls, by Tony Johnston
Owls, by Gail Gibbons
Owl (See How They Grow), DK Publishing (my five-year-old loves this series)
White Owl, Barn Owl, by Nicola Davies (also a five-year-old favorite)
Owls (Animal Predators), by Sandra Markle
Owls, Zoobooks
The Book of North American Owls, by Helen Roney Sattler (gorgeous illustrations and a lot of information--for about 4th grade level and up)
Raptor! A Kid's Guide to Birds of Prey, by C. Laubach, R. Laubach, and C.W.G. Smith (also for about 4th grade level and up)

activity and coloring books:

Owls: On Silent Wings, by Ann C. Cooper (activities, including a lap book of sorts and instructions for an origami owl)
Raptors, a Coloring Album, by Anne Price (lots of written information and realistic drawings to color)
Hidden Feathers, a Creature Camouflage Coloring Book, MindWare

fiction:

There's an Owl in the Shower, by Jean Craighead George (ages 9 and up)
Hoot, by Carl Hiassen (ages 10 and up)
Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen (all ages)

Other resources

The current Hearts & Trees Winter/Spring Kit, which features (among other things), an owl silhouette art project, a felt owl handicraft to make, and an owls' fact sheet.  Great timing!

One of the moderators posted this link to a pdf of DK's From Egg to Owl.  Thanks, Jessica!

This art journaling idea from Art Projects for Kids.

An owl reading comprehension sheet from abcteach.

The Young Scientists Club kit #30, Owls (part of set 10, which also includes kit #29, Eggs)

Molly's Box on Wordpress, with more links on the Barn Owl Resources page

The Owl Pages

The Barn Owl Trust

eMINTS page about Barn Owls

Hoot, the movie (ages 8 and up)

Hope you enjoy studying owls as much as we have!

Poetry Friday - John Haines (b. 1924)

If the Owl Calls Again
by John Haines

at dusk from the island in the river, and it's not too cold, I'll wait for the moon to rise, then take wing and glide to meet him. We will not speak. . .

This poem is still under copyright, but you can read the rest of it here. It's not my usual fare, but I loved it, and want to find more of this poet's works to read. Inspiration to find a poem like this came in the form of owls calling to each other in the night outside my window.

Poetry Friday is being hosted this week by Picture Book of the Day. Check it out! You can view the schedule of where Poetry Friday is being hosted in the coming weeks here, on the blog where it all began.