As a person who is enamored of owls, I was eager to get my hands on a copy of Matt Sewell's little tome, Owls: Our Most Charming Bird. Its arrival in the post sent me into a flurry of reading; enraptured, I did not put it down until it had been read in one fell swoop!
The book provides a very basic narrative description of the owls Sewell has chosen to illustrate. At times, bits of humor are interwoven in these descriptions which caused me to smile and chuckle as I read.
Do not get this book if you are looking for a field guide to take out into the woods to help you identify specific species by photograph. DO run out and grab a copy if you enjoy lovely watercolor illustrations that provide a sense of personality for each bird. I found myself lingering longer over the illustrations than I did the text, even though Sewell uses some delightful words throughout. (Who doesn't like a book that uses words like "flammulated" and "hullabaloo"?)
I found Sewell's book to be a delight! I plan to keep it on my shelves and share it with youngsters who come to visit as my way of passing along a love for owls! Thanks to Blogging For Books for the ARC I received in exchange for this review.
From the Publisher . . .
An enchanting illustrated guide to owl species of the world.
In this beautiful and highly giftable art book, artist and ornithologist Matt Sewell captures 50 species of the world’s most evocative bird: the owl. Using pop-art watercolors and accompanied by witty and irreverent descriptions, Sewell expresses the individual characters of owls as never before. From tiny elf owls to huge Eurasian eagle owls, from the haunting barn owl to the elegant great horned owl, these wise, magical birds are otherworldly in their striking colors and stature. It’s not just birdwatchers who are obsessed: Owls are a perennial favorite in pop culture, decorating, and among children as well as nature lovers and serious birders. From David Sedaris’s Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls to Harry Potter’s pet Hedwig, and throwback interest in Twin Peaks (which is returning to TV in 2016) and its trademark spooky owls, these birds are here to stay.
About the Author . . .
MATT SEWELL, who has been described as “the Banksy of the bird world,” is an avid ornithologist and artist. He is the author of Our Garden Birds (2012) and Our Songbirds (2013), and has illustrated for The Guardian and Big Issue amongst many other publications. His art has been exhibited in London, Manchester, New York, Tokyo, and Paris.
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