The urban owls How Flaco and friends made the city their home

New York City is home to a number of famous humans, but it has played host to owl celebrities as well. There was Flaco, the Eurasian eagle owl who dramatically escaped a quiet life at the Central Park Zoo. Though faced with the hustle and bustle of the wider world ("Buildings! Lights! Traffic! Trains!"), he quickly settled into the neighborhood and became an official New Yorker, just like so many human transplants before him. Barred owl Barry became a beloved landmark in her park roost, and a snowy owl turned into an overnight sensation as the first one of her species to appear in the park in over a hundred years. The whirlwind owl tour is a true delight, posing frequent questions to readers, who are sure to be inspired to delve deeper into each real-life story. Glowing illustrations bring each owl to life, revealing distinct personalities and gorgeously textured details. End pages add a few more facts and tips on owl spotting in the wild. An entertaining and important reminder to give a hoot about our neighboring natural world.

Making his picture book debut, Cooper (Better Living Through Birding, for adults) catalogs a handful of wild owls who have taken up residence in New York City, starting with Flaco, the famous Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped from the Central Park Zoo: "He flew and flew and flew! If you'd been stuck in a cage your whole life, wouldn't you?" Barry the barred owl, a keen hunter, attracts devoted sightseers because of her dependable appearance on a favorite roost. Great horned owl Geraldine "still catches all the food she needs" following an injury ("A body that's different doesn't mean you're not able to do great things. Just ask Geraldine!"). The survey concludes with the appearance of Rocky, a saw-whet owl that arrived one year via the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. In light-filled digital spreads, Adam (The Secret of Fall) shows the owls in flight and at rest, emphasizing their city-bird status by picturing them near fire escapes and neon signs. Drawing frequent parallels between owls and humans ("Flaco worked the night shift"), cadenced text assures readers that owls might be more proximate than they think. Owl facts conclude. Ages 4--8. Author's agent: Gail Ross, WME. Illustrator's agent: Alice Jin Zhang, Astound US. (Feb.)

An acclaimed birder and science writer offers informal introductions to some of the Big Apple's less common feathered visitors and residents. Cooper begins with Flaco, a Eurasian eagle owl who escaped from the Central Park Zoo and went on to work the "night shift, like most owls do (and like some people do too)." He goes on to profile other owls who became New Yorkers. Some were just temporary residents, like Rocky, a northern saw-whet owl inadvertently transported to the city while concealed within the branches of the Rockefeller Center holiday tree, or a snowy owl who didn't even stay long enough to acquire a name. Others, such as Geraldine, a great horned owl who successfully hunted despite an injured foot that never healed correctly, stuck around for longer. "A body that's different doesn't mean you're not able to do great things," he writes. "Just ask Geraldine!" Lavishing attention on details of distinctive patterns and feathers, Adam portrays the birds in magnificent close-ups, in flight with skyscrapers and bright lights in the background, swooping down silently on oblivious mice, and perched on a branch while staring up at viewers with urbane "Can you believe this?" expressions; meanwhile, racially diverse observers point and gesticulate in the background. Though the author steers clear of specific dates and details in the main narrative, he does close with further facts about each species, as well as providing general pointers for spotting and living with these elegant wild guests. A breezy, appealing whoo's whoo. (print and web resources, selected sources)(Informational picture book. 6-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.