The Boy and the Barn Owl

Eight-year-old Ethan lives on a farm with his mom, dad, and older sister Maya, and he spends his days wandering the hidden corners of the fields in his blue overalls and yellow rubber boots. During a game of hide-and-seek near an old stone building, he slips through a creaking door and finds a barn owl perched high on a wooden beam, her white heart-shaped face turned toward him and a small metal ring on her leg.

When Maya follows him back, they spot three fluffy white chicks peeking from a nest, and the children rush to tell their father. Dad explains what barn owls need to feel safe, and the whole family works together to make the old building fit for the growing owl family. This gentle tale by Jane MEADOW follows Ethan as he fills his notebook with drawings and learns to watch from a distance, and it can be read on Kids Tale Book.