Rescue center | Children's Books Heal

The Christmas Owl

Ellen Kalish & Gideon Sterer, Authors

Ramona Kaulitzki, Illustrator

Little Brown and Company, Fiction, Oct. 5, 2021

Suitable for ages: 4-8

Themes: Owl, Rockefeller Christmas Tree, Rescue center

Opening: “Once in a little town, in a little front yard, lived a little owl, high in the branches of a very big tree.”

Synopsis:

When Little Owl’s home is cut down by people saying it will make a beautiful Christmas tree, she’s not sure she wants anything to do with Christmas, whatever that means. Hiding in its branches, the rope traps Little Owl. The tree is loaded on a truck and she rides for hours until it reaches the Rockefeller Center.

A worker finds the owl her and calls a woman named Ellen at Ravensbeard Wildlife Center who takes Little Owl, who is hungry and dehydrated. Ellen, whose house is merrily decorated for the holiday and filled with birds who need someone to care for them. Surrounded by kindness and helpful new friends, Little Owl begins to wonder if Christmas might not be such a bad thing after all…

Why I like this book:

A beautiful book that is based on a true story that captivated the country in November 2020. This charming story is cowritten by Ellen Kalish, caretaker of the real owl found inside the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.

Told in the voice of Little Owl, children will enjoy hearing about his long journey on the truck to NYC, being discovered in its branches and his rehabilitation with Ellen. Ramona Kaulitzki’s illustrations are simply stunning. Just look at the cover! They compliment the story and kids will have fun pouring over the gorgeous artwork and telling the story themselves.

There is so much compassion in this story. Make sure you check out the end pages. There is a special Note from Ellen Kalish about her work to rescue and rehabilitate her first love — birds. There is a close up picture of the owl she named “Rocky.” On the opposite page is The Real Story of Rockefeller, with a photo of Ellen releasing Rocky back into the wild. And at the front of the book you can see a map of Rocky’s journey to NYC.

Resources: Go for a walk in the woods with your parents and listen to all of the winter birds living there. You might just hear an owl hoot. Visit a bird rehabilitation center near you. Introduce your kids to the annual Christmas Bird Count December 14 – Jan. 5, 2021, and The Great Backyard Bird Count in February. Visit the Audubon website for a list of count circles near you. And visit the Sonoma Birding website and the eBird website to do your own bird count any day of the year and track your counts.

Ellen Kalish is the executive director of Ravensbeard Wildlife Center, a rehabilitation and educational center that focuses on rescue and release for wild birds. She served on the board for the New York State Wildlife Rehabilitation Council and is the recipient of the William R. Ginsberg Stewardship Award from the Woodstock Land Conservancy. Ellen has released thousands of birds back into the wild, but every releas is special. She invites you to visit her online at Ravensbeard.

Gideon Sterer is the author of From Ed’s to Ned’s, Not Your Nest!, The Nigh Knights, and The Midnight Fair, among others. Gideon grew up in the woods of upstate New York, where his parents owned a little zoo i which he would run around after-hours and let the animals out. He now lives in the Hudson Valley and invites you to visit him online at his website and @gideonsterer

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.

*Reviewed from a purchased copy.

The Elephant’s New Shoe: A True Rescue Story

Laurel Neme, Author

Ariel Landy, Illustrator

Orchard Books, Nonfiction, Oct. 6, 2020

Suitable for ages: 4-7 years

Themes: Elephant, Animals, Injury, Rescue center, Prosthetics, Cambodia

Opening: “Animal rescuer Nick Marx peered at the injured elephant. He and Dr. Thy had been called by a patrol team to inspect a tiny male elephant found wandering alone. His name was Chhouk.”

Sysnopsis:

When Chhouk, an Asian elephant calf, was found he was alone, underweight and had a severe foot injury. Conservationist Nick Marx at the Wildlife Alliance rescued the baby elephant. With help from the Cambodian Forestry Administration, the Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics, and an elephant named Lucky, Nick nursed Chhouk back to health and worked with a team to make him an artificial foot.

Will Chhouk’s new show allow the young elephant to walk again?

Why I like this book:

Laurel Neme’s true rescue of a young elephant will melt the hearts of young children and adult animal lovers alike. It is a perfect way to introduce children to wildlife that are injured and traumatized, and the loving rescue teams that commit themselves to providing expert care.

Neme’s book is a compassionate and well-crafted story about the relationship between Nick and Chhouk. From the moment Nick discovers the frightened and hurt baby elephant he calms him with his soothing voice, sleeps with him through the night, feeds him bananas and slowly gains his trust. From that point forward, Chhouk and Nick become best friends and with the help of his team, they are able to bring the baby to the rescue center to care for his missing and infected foot. Once the stub heals, Nick works with the Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics to make a prosthetic foot or boot for Chhouk. Through trial and error, the team finally designs a flexible, padded, durable boot that works. As Chhouk grows, he requires a new boot every six months. The school remains his “fairy godmother.”

Children will enjoy learning that elephants have feelings like people do. Chhouk misses his mother and family, who are the center of his world. “He has no elephant love.” Fortunately an eight-year-old elephant named, Lucky, nestles Chhouk under her belly. Once Chhouk has his new boot he’s able to go on walks with Lucky, explore the forest and become part of the elephant community. Today Chhouk is a teenager and remains at the rescue center.

Ariel Landy’s warm and emotive illustrations beautifully document Chhouk’s journey. At times they are playful and show Chhouk’s joy when he’s able to walk. And they capture the loving bond between Nick and Chhouk.

Video of Chhouk and Nick Marx, Wildlife Alliance

Resources: Make sure you check out the facts included in the book about Asian and African elephants, the number of muscles in their trunks, their form of communication, and how much they eat. There is also an Author’s Note at the very end about Chhouk today along with photographs of his progress. Visit elephants at a local zoo. Check to see if there are any refuge centers near you that help injured animals. Learn more about the Wildlife Alliance website and their efforts to save elephants, tigers, gibbons, and other animals in Cambodia. For children over 8, there is a book I reviewed recently, Bionic Beasts by Jolene Gutiérrez, about a variety of animals and birds receiving artificial flippers, legs and beaks.

Laurel Neme always dreamed of helping animals. At first, she wanted to be a veterinarian like Dr. Doolittle or a scientist like Jane Goodall, but later chose to help animals in her own way — by telling their stories. She lives in Vermont with her husband, son, and super-smart German shepherd, who is learning to do the laundry. Learn more about Neme by visit her website.

#Reviewed from a library book.