Children’s Review: The Burrowing Owls of the Prairie Grasslands

Thanks to the kind folks at Groundwood Books, I have a children’s non-fiction title on the review docket. Let’s take a closer look at The Burrowing Owls of the Prairie Grasslands written by Deborah Hodge and illustrated by Karen Reczuch. Happy reading!

The second title in the Wild by Nature series, Canadian author Deborah Hodge and Canadian illustrator Karen Reczuch brings readers The Burrowing Owls of the Prairie Grasslands. An exploration into the world of the now-endangered burrowing owls, Hodge and Reczuch take readers into the life cycle of the only owl on earth who lives underground. As the book opens, these little owls are shown making their way from Texas and Mexico and into parts of southern Alberta and the protected region of the Grasslands National Park in Saskatchewan during the spring season. We see as male and female owls make their home in burrows already begun by other prairie animals (such as prairie dogs and badgers), and the immediate dangers they face as they welcome tiny owlets into the world. The book also explores the significant- and critical- positive growing impact that conservationists, Indigenous groups, as well as biologists are having on this unique owl species that has seen its population decline by a catastrophic “90 percent since 1990”.

Artist Karen Reczuch, whose work you might recognize from the beautiful West Coast Wild series of books (also by Deborah Hodge), or Loon (by Susan Vande Griek), presents such spectacular artwork. It cannot be stressed how stunning Reczuch’s watercolour and colour pencil illustrations are: the burrowing owls thrum with life and presence, with feathers you want to feel; the stillness and specific palette of the grasslands- the entirety of the landscape- is grand in scale and places you immediately in the owls’ surroundings. Deborah Hodge’s writing flows so easily- with the rhythm and feel of a fascinating read aloud, bringing readers right in close to the owls, the details of their burrows, and the early weeks as hyper-aware, protective owl parents with owlets.

Overall, The Burrowing Owls of the Prairie Grasslands is absolutely recommended non-fiction reading. Readers who have read book one in the Wild by Nature series, The Tufted Puffins of Triangle Island, might especially be interested in this fantastic series entry; likewise of high interest for readers who clamour for more non-fiction titles about Canadian wildlife and various ecosystems, or for readers who enjoy informative, highly-readable, and stunningly illustrated non-fiction titles. Back matter includes illustrations of other animals found in Grasslands National Park; information on Burrowing Owl Recovery Programs; as well as suggestions for further reading.

I received a digital copy of this title courtesy of Groundwood Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own.