no field,
no mouse,
no vole,
only hard, cold metal,
ladders and posts.
But the owl's exhausted,
closes wings and eyes."
Kids love to read true stories - especially if they consider the fate of an animal or a bird. In this tale, based on something that actually happened, they will learn the story of a short-eared owl and its fortunate landing on an oil-drilling platform far from land.
What readers need to know is that it is not unusual for short-eared owls to fly over long distances. They are often seen in daylight, and live in open fields, and grasslands where they sit right on the ground and fly low as they hunt. Still, it was a shock to the riggers living in the North Sea to find an owl aboard their platform. Exhausted and needing gentle care, the men attend to it until it can be shipped back to land where it is cared for by a bird-rescue team.
"The copter's unloaded,
refueled.
soon ready to fly,
but this time it's carrying something more
than men and supplies.
It carries the riggers,
it carries their gear,
it carries one owl
far from home,
short-eared.
Airborne again
but this time in flight,
the owl's wings
are closed
and held in tight."
Once recovered, the owl is released to its home ... healthy and right where it belongs.
The poetic text is filled with emotion, and the story told with power. There is much action, and a feeling of concern as the owl flies such a long distance, always on the lookout for somewhere to land. Stormy seas up the tension, followed by a real sense of calm when it finally sets down. Ian Wallace's seascapes echo the power of the storm and the extraordinary expanse of the sea.
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