The Owl Prowl Mystery (2024) by Diana Renn

Thanks to Regal House Publishing and NetGalley for providing me review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

🦉 Backyard Rangers is a group of four middle grade students who has concern for wildlife protections. After rescuing turtles in the previous adventure, now they are back with another fun project involving owls.

🦉 Bella is the new celebrity barred owl in Marsh Hollow, where the kids live. Birdwatchers and wildlife photographers from neighboring towns come rushing to meet the super friendly owl who, so friendly it seems to be, that it often appears near human beings apparently without fear. But Miles, one of the rangers, found clues which led them to believe that someone has actually baited the owls - a practice which endangered them. It is now up to these four kids to bring the crime into spotlight, and save the owls' wildlife future.

🦉 As I love birds, lately I've been trying to read more books about birds. So, when I saw this title in NetGalley, I knew I have to read it. And it pays off - it's a fun wildlife adventure/mystery to read. Hopefully more fiction under this eco-mystery genre would be published in the future, especially for middle-grader. It's a good way to promote love for nature in younger age.

🦉 The birds, birdwatching, and everything around birding are aplenty in this novel, but they're not all. There's the real personal struggle in each character, to balance with their eco-sleuthing. Their studies is one thing, but there are mentions of health problem (Delaney suffers from scoliosis), personal disability (Miles with his ADHD), family problem, and others.

🦉 Other than wildlife conservation idea, this book also warns us that appearances can be misleading - in animals as well as human beings. I think this adventure gives Miles and co. the foundation to be better eco-sleuths in the future. Will there be a third book? Please say yes, Diana! Meanwhile, I'll try to get a copy for the first!🦉

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

**The Owl Prowl will be published in 13 August 2024**

How to Look at a Bird: Open Your Eyes to the Joy of Watching and Knowing Birds by Clare Walker Leslie

Thanks to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for providing me a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

🦜 I don't know when exactly it was when I realized that I've always been fascinated by birds. I am an early riser, and I love to go outside on my apartment balcony in the morning, to feel the crisp air, watching the golden light of sun touching the tips of the trees, smell the freshness of the pines or flowers, and...the chirps and songs of the birds. No matter how rough I have felt the day before, a few minutes of these rituals always bring smile on my face, and warmth in my heart, ready to start the new day. In fact, watching the birds itself always make me happy. And that's why I was very excited to get to read and review this book.

🦜 Clare Walker Leslie is both an author and illustrator. In this little book, she encourages beginners at birdwatching to take the first step in taking this hobby into next level. It doesn't require one to be scientist or naturalist. First the joy of watching birds around where we live, be it in the country, suburban, or even in a busy big city like where I live. From there, you'll get curious to what bird that is, what they are doing, why they're doing it, and so on. That curiosity will make one a better observer.

🦜 This book hooked me from the first because apparently Clare has been staying at an apartment building, as I do. She shares how she attracted birds by hanging some feeders on the balcony. It made me realize that one CAN do birdwatching without having to travel in the country or visiting a forest. Clare also shares how to choose our binoculars. I like this kind of practical tips when reading a "how to" books.

🦜 If you imagine this book would be boring and full of technicality or specifications of birds, you were wrong. It feels more like talking with a longtime birdwatchers who's glad to tell you of her love of birds and birdwatching. She wasn't an expert too when she began, but when you do what you love, I believe you'll find ways to learn more. You'll search for it on the internet, you'll find people with the same hobby to talk too, and so on. The possibility would be endless. What you need is to take the first step. And that's what this book will inspire you without being condescending.

🦜 Another pleasant part of this book is the sketches and colorful illustrations of birds and birdwatching. My favorite is the feeder hung on her apartment balcony – maybe because I can relate to it, living in an apartment myself. Clare even shares the step-by-step of sketching a bird. You needn't be good at drawing, by the way. There's this technique which she called blind contouring – doing rough-sketch while focusing on the object, without looking at what you’re doing – which seems quite doable. I can't wait to try myself!

🦜 Do you love birds, but find the word "birdwatching" intimidating? Read this book, and you'll see that it's actually not that scary! Clare described in details several species of birds (with illustrations) which you'll find in some parts of the world (mainly the US), but like she said in this book, wherever you live, there are always birds around you. Moreover, you’ll learn some interesting things about these birds, though you might perhaps never see them. Like the story of Rocky, the saw-whet owl which made headlines in 2020 because she was found in the giant Christmas tree of Rockefeller Center which has been brought from Canada, that's amazing!

🦜 I am so lucky to have found this book, it inspired me to start a new hobby, which might perhaps be useful after my retirement! If you love nature and birds, you'll find this book a helpful guidance.

Rating: 4,5 / 5

**How to Look at a Bird: Open Your Eyes to the Joy of Watching and Knowing Birds will be published on 6th February 2024.

 

Away with the Penguins (2020) by Hazel Prior

🐧 First of all, Away with the Penguins is the same book as How the Penguins Saved Veronica; the first is the UK title, the latter, the US one (isn't it annoying how publishers keep changing titles? I think they should keep the original one, except for translation - and they, too, should translate from the original title). But let's put that aside, and let the book itself shines, because it is quite marvellous!

🐧 Veronica McCreedy is eighty-five years old lady - a curmudgeonly tough old nut who lives alone with an assistant in Scotland. Though physically declining, her spirit still brightly shines. She is rich but doesn't have any family left to bequeath it to. Or so she thought.

🐧 Now what she needs is to transfer what's left in her into a worthy cause, like what her father had always taught her. And she's found one: penguins! But first thing's first: she needs to make sure she didn't have any family left. A hired agent gave her the confirmation: she has a grandson she never knew, the son of her longtime estranged and dead son!

🐧 Patrick Fuller grew up hating his father for leaving his vulnerable mother in the lurch, when Patrick was a baby. Now he's an unkempt young man without purpose, semi-addicted to dope after his girlfriend left him for another man. It is in this condition that Veronica McCreedy suddenly entered his life as a grandmother he never knew he had.

🐧 Their first meeting is very awkward. Two opposite people from two very different generations, who keep their own bitter secrets, with only one thread connect them: a Joe Fuller, or Enzo, the son Veronica must give up long ago, and a father Patrick grew up hating - well, it's almost impossible to unite them. But nature always has its unique healing quality. In this case, it is represented by the penguins.

🐧 Three scientists do research on how to save Penguins in a colony in Antarctica, but they are in financial difficulty. Veronica is eager to leave her money for this research, and despite the scientist team's warning that their quarter is by no means adequate to accommodate an elderly, Veronica stubbornly comes to Antarctica to see the penguins. What'll happen next? Will Veronica change the penguins? Or is it her life that will be changed by the penguins? And how about her relationship with Patrick?

🐧 This is one of the most wholesome, heartwarming books I've read lately. I loved how the story is told alternately from Veronica's and Patrick's views. It provides the reader outlets to get to know each character more intimately. Then, Terry's (one of the scientists) blogging about penguin adds a charming aspect of the penguin's cause. One of interesting things I learned is that penguins are used by scientists as indicator of ecosystem changes. On the whole, it is a refreshing and entertaining novel, beautifully written - sometimes touching, sometimes funny. Oh, and I adore Pip, the little penguin. Prior wrote the novel so vividly that I felt like seeing cute Pip alive, while occasionally petting him! ❤

Rating: 5 / 5

 

Adventures with Raymond and Bonnie: The Deserted Cottage (2023) by John Williams

Thanks to Troubador (Matador) and NetGalley for providing a review copy of this book, published in January 28th, 2023.

🐦 The Deserted Cottage is the first of Adventures with Raymond and Bonnie series, a children fiction intended for young readers from seven to nine. Raymond is a young robin who lives with his parents on a pile of logs next to a big oak tree at Farmer Tussock's farmyard. His best friend, a young blue tit called Bonnie, also lives in the same place with her parents.

🐦 In this first adventure, Raymond and Bonnie fly to the nearby Fir Cottage, where Mr. Digweed lives alone. "None of the bird families knew his real name; he was just called Mr Digweed simply because he was often in his garden... digging up weeds."

🐦 Mr. Digweed is a lovely old man. He treats the birds very kindly. There's always enough food and water for every bird who ever flies over Fir Cottage. His bird-feeder is never empty. It's no wonder that all the birds in the countryside love him.

🐦 But that particular morning, Raymond and Bonnie found no trace of Mr. Digweed. His cottage was closed and dark, and the feeder empty. What can possibly happen to Mr Digweed? Does he go somewhere? When two days passed, and still no sign of Mr. Digweed, Raymond and Bonnie began to worry.

🐦 Then they saw two strangers arrived at Fir Cottage. Two hooded men made a forced-entry to the house, brought out Mr. Digweed's stuffs, and put them into their van. It's a burglary! They are robbing the birds' dear old friend – they must help poor Mr. Digweed! But what can two little birds do to thwart this evil operation?

🐦 Besides the exciting adventure, there's also a trouble looming in the background. Farmer Tussock is considering to sell the logs where the robins and blue tits live, which means that they must find new homes coming winter. Will they find home as warm and as cozy as the farmyard? Can Raymond and Bonnie still be together? This might provide a good story for the next instalment.

🐦 As a bird-lover, I was excited to find this charming book about birds, with gorgeous illustrations by Simon Goodway (I embedded two of them for you to admire, they are pretty cute, aren't they?) I also loved the countryside setting, the birds (besides Robin's and blue tits, there are Marty the magpie and a bunch of starlings too), and a lovely human being in the good Mr. Digweed, who provides love and comfort for the weaker creatures.

🐦 While this book is originally intended for young readers, it also provides a soothing and relaxing read for adults. If you love birds and in need of a feel-good book, this would be your perfect choice. As for young readers, it will convince them that being kind to others is a worthwhile attitude, and it makes one feeling happy.

Rating: 4,5 / 5