Description
Owls are incredible creatures.
They can see in the dimmest light, hear the faintest of sounds, fly silently and rotate their heads to look straight backward. Most owls are nocturnal, more often heard than seen. Even those that are active during the day stay largely out of sight.
Owls: Who Gives a Hoot? reveals the secrets of these mysterious birds and the important role they play in our lives and their ecosystems. Learn about the 19 species that live in Canada and the United States—from the tiny elf owl to the hefty great horned owl. And meet the scientists, activists and young people who are working to keep these iconic birds in flight and turning heads for years to come.
The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
Author Bio
Frances Backhouse is an award-winning environmental journalist and author who found her way to writing through science. As a kid, she loved exploring nature. She climbed trees, went for long walks with her dog in the river valley near her home, raised monarch butterflies from caterpillars and made plaster casts of animal tracks. Adulthood brought new adventures as she earned a bachelor of ccience degree in zoology and went on to work as a park naturalist and a biologist. Frances has written four books in the Orca Wild series and six books for adults. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia, and loves spending time outdoors wherever she is.
Prizes
- Young Readers' Choice Book Awards of British Columbia (YRCABC) Red Cedar Book Awards - NonfictionNominated 2026
- BC Books for SchoolsCommended 2024
- Children’s Book Council & National Science Teachers Association Outstanding Science Trade BooksWinner 2025
- Science Writers and Communicators of Canada (SWCC) Book Awards - Youth CategoryLong-listed 2024
- The Nature Generation Green Earth Book Award (GEBA) - Young Adult Nonfiction Honor BookCommended 2025
- Forest of Reading Yellow Cedar AwardNominated 2025
- CCBC Best Books for Kids & TeensCommended 2024
Review Quotes
“If you aren’t already an owl fan, you’ll find them hard to resist after reading Owls: Who Gives a Hoot?...Written with expertise and up-to-date science, [the book] will attract the young audience already familiar with the Orca Wild series as well as older readers who simply love owls. Highly recommended.”
— CM: Canadian Review of Materials“The impressively comprehensive text is chatty and entertaining…Spectacular photos make each spread a visual treat…This illuminating avian introduction is sure to make an owl ally out of anyone.”
— Booklist“Teachers would find this book to be an excellent addition for a science unit on animals. Readers who love to read about animals will find owls to be fascinating.”
— Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD)“Park naturalist and biologist Frances Backhouse, author of other titles in this Orca Wild series, provides the reader with an in-depth look at owls...pages share stories of organizations and individuals active in owl advocacy, protection, and research.”
— BC Books for SchoolsBiographical note
Frances Backhouse studied biology in university and worked as a park naturalist and a biologist before becoming an environmental journalist and author. She is the author of Beavers: Radical Rodents and Ecosystem Engineers and Grizzly Bears: Guardians of the Wilderness, as well as six books for adults. Her home office in Victoria, British Columbia, looks out over her backyard, where birds flitting about often distract her from writing. Sometimes at dusk a barred owl comes and perches in one of the tall oak trees, swiveling its head as it searches for reckless squirrels.
