Tanna's Owl

by Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley, Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, Yong Ling Kang (Illustrator)

Overview

When Tanna’s father brings home an abandoned owl, she is not eager to take care of the needy, ugly little bird. Tanna must wake at 4:00 a.m. to catch food for the owl. She must feed it, clean up after it, all while avoiding its sharp, chomping beak and big, stomping talons. After weeks of following her father’s instructions on how to care for the owl, Tanna must leave home for school. Her owl has grown. It has lost its grey baby feathers and is beginning to sprout a beautiful adult snowy owl coat. As she says good-bye to the owl, she is relieved not to have to care for it anymore, but also a bit sad.

This heartwarming story based on the author’s own life experience teaches young readers the value of hard work, helping, and caring—even when the thing you are caring for does not love you back.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781772272505
Publisher:	Inhabit Media
Publication date:	01/28/2020
Series:	Tanna's Animals , #1
Edition description:	English Edition
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley was born at the northernmost edge of Baffin Island, in the Canadian Arctic. She grew up learning traditional survival lore from her father. She and her husband Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley were brought together by a love of nature and each other. They write Arctic speculative fiction and nonfiction for various ages.

Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley was born at the southernmost edge of Ontario, learning woodcraft from his father. He and his wife Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley were brought together by a love of nature and each other. They write Arctic speculative fiction and nonfiction for various ages.

Yong Ling Kang was raised in Singapore. She is now based in Toronto, Ontario.

Editorial Reviews

"Based on Burt Award–winning, Inuit-Cree author Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley’s childhood memories of growing up on Baffin Island, this outstanding picture book shares essential teachings on the importance of responsibility, patience, and respect."—★ Quill & Quire, STARRED review

The heartwarming text is based on Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley's (Inuit-Cree) own childhood experiences...Kang's use of a soft, muted palette pairs well with the text to make the story come alive for readers. Ably demonstrates to young readers the value of doing a difficult but important job."–Kirkus Reviews

"[T]his story gives a well-rounded picture of caring for a wild animal that doesn’t diminish the hard or unpleasant aspects of that experience—shown to great effect in Kang’s simple yet expressive illustrations. However, it also reinforces the Inuit belief that no one owns an animal. Based on Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley’s own childhood experience, this #OwnVoices story accessibly incorporates aspects of the authors’ Inuit-Cree (Rachel) and Scottish-Mowhawk (Sean) ancestry and expertise in Arctic traditions."—Booklist

"Tanna’s Owl by Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, illustrated by Yong Ling Kang (Inhabit Media, 5-7) perfectly captures the sense of connection between the Inuit and the Arctic environment they live in."—The Globe and Mail

"A realistic and entertaining tale of animal rescue and the thrill of seeing an animal return to the wild to live."—School Library Journal

"The friendly, unsentimental narration is a far cry from saccharine stories of wild animals becoming beloved pets...This is a different kind of wildlife story that’s more about the rigors of service than the temptation of ownership, and kids will appreciate the realism and humor as well as the eventual reward."—The Bulletin from the Center for Children's Books

"Tanna’s Owl is a poignant and uplifting read that will inspire all who read it to be better stewards of the environment."—CM Magazine

From the Publisher

2020-01-21
When Tanna's father brings a lone baby owl to their home, Tanna discovers how much work it is to care for it.

One summer, Father returns from a hunting trip with an abandoned baby owl that needs care. Even though "it's somehow cute," Tanna is not impressed, particularly when she has to get up before dawn to catch lemmings for the owl to eat. Inside the house Tanna also has to line the floor with newspapers because Ukpik, as she names the owl, poops often. As time goes by, Ukpik demands more and more food, and Tanna and her siblings grow tired of catching lemmings as it grows and loses its cuteness. When summer ends, Tanna has to go away to school, and although she worries about the unfledged owlet, she is "happy not to get up at 4:00 a.m." When she returns home the following summer, Tanna is in for a big surprise. The heartwarming text is based on Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley's (Inuit-Cree) own childhood experiences, according to an opening note, including a stint in residential schools that is mentioned only glancingly in the story. (Sean Qitsuallik-Tinsley is of Scottish-Mohawk descent.) The backmatter gives readers more information about the authors and includes Inuktitut pronunciation guidance. Kang's use of a soft, muted palette pairs well with the text to make the story come alive for readers.

Ably demonstrates to young readers the value of doing a difficult but important job. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews