Owls in the Family

This was a very engaging book for a family read-aloud! My kids, boys and girls, aged 6 up to 13 years old, all loved it. Perfect amount of humor, heart, and inspiration to get outside and explore. Highly recommend!

Great bedtime story for children

My children and I love this book. We checked it out from the library first and loved it so much that we decided to buy it. There is a bit of a warning for more sensitive readers. Farley Mowat doesn't dumb down nature or people and sometimes there are some harsh realities. We appreciated that the author had a strong point of view; it added authenticity to his story.

I love owls and I love this book. Our family read it together. It's so funny.

This is a great book about the youthfulness of boys and their adventures. That Wol and Weeps are really the main characters for most of the book is great, but the underlying theme of boyish fun is really what makes the atmosphere of the book. I had this read to me by my father when I was young and now I've had the chance to do the same for my son. A great read and a great book to pass along from generation to generation.

A good story, funny at some points, but puzzling at others. Mowat evidently spent years and years with this little boat and could never find the source of its leaking, yet refused to get rid of it. He personifies the boat. "She had already made up her mind about that and there was no way she would go further." This is amusing in a way, but superstitious in another. It's difficult to tell where Mowat draws the line. Also, he seems to have no job or permanent home to return to, and his boat becomes his way of life for many years. Almost 20, as far as I can determine (the timeline is a little fuzzy). It's hard to relate to what may be a part-time fascination or a full time way of life with no discernible income or purpose. This may be okay if the narrator is a teenage boy (as in The Dog Who Wouldn't Be), but in an adult it's rather concerting instead of amusing. This story also doesn't have a definitive ending, so it's rather unfulfilling.

Farley Mowat is one of the best nature writers ever. This book retells his boyhood years living with two great horned owls who thought they were differently-abled dogs. Owls are charming, bloodthirsty animals and Mowat, a wildlife biologist by training opens readers' eyes to the whole outdoor experience in a way few people ever have. He tells the story of the owls in a way that is realistic, charming and shows what can be done with wild animals.

Adorable book! We are using it as a read aloud in conjunction with an owl study in my fifth grade classroom. It has some teachable moments, including the idea of stealing a baby owl from its nest/mother and other examples of some inappropriate treatment of animals. I didn't see this as problem, despite my own sympathies for mistreatment of animals. All of my students were very concerned about the welfare of the animals in the story, so I think it only bolstered their strong feelings for animal welfare. If you're particularly sensitive to this content, I would still consider the book. the enjoyable writing style and delightful antics of the characters outweighed the more sensitive issues. I recommend it.

I'm probably biased because I come from the area around Saskatoon, and had to read this book in school. But I love this book, and love reading it to my kids. The language is wonderfully lyrical, and truly feels like home.

Read this first way back in 1975 or 76. Inspired my love for owls way back then. Still a classic read. Evokes a more leisurely life when holidays were holidays for kids and not prep time for advanced exams! A time when kids explored the wilds, raided fruit orchards, caught guppies in streams or adopted whatever wildling came their way.

Livro muito bom, páginas de qualidade. Vale a pena!

This isn’t smut. Still good though.

livre anglophone broché souple format poche papier recyclé ancien (1996/1961) racontant les aventures romancées de deux chouettes originaires du Saskatchewan, Wol et Weeps; 11 chapitres d'un texte alerte et amusant illustré de quelques gravures n&b; ce petit roman ancien et mal illustré, sans grandes prétentions et destiné à un public jeune pas trop exigeant scientifiquement, n'en reste pas moins amusant dès qu'on se laisse prendre par l'intrigue.