Consider the Owl

Aliens in bird form or remnants of ancient myth?A picture book family whose iconic presence has gone from page to screen with its cuteness factor entirely intact.And then there's Jane Yolen's glorious Owl Moon, in which the search for these beautiful birds drives the gentle narrative through a winter night.Owls are all this and more. I was lucky enough to see one tracking a squirrel the other day. The owl was a master of patience, and on the wing, it turned into a hunting machine. That prey had no chance. It was like seeing a David Attenborough film in real life, harshness and beauty in coexistence.As Yolen puts it:

When you go owling you have to be brave.