TIGER WITH WINGS
The Great Horned Owl
by Barbara Juster Esbensen & illustrated by Mary Barrett Brown
The team that collaborated on Great Northern Diver: The Loon (1990) returns with an even more detailed and better-balanced portrait. The straightforward text describes the owl's characteristics and habits, focusing on hunting and raising young; fascinating facts include their soundless flight (a result of soft-edged feathers) and, despite the ``wise'' clichÇ, their relative lack of intelligence: not as smart as crows, or even geese. Unusually beautiful, finely detailed illustrations; handsome and informative. (Nonfiction/Picture book. 5-10)