Tanna's Owl
- Publisher
- Inhabit Media
- Initial publish date
- Jan 2020
- Category
- Birds, Values & Virtues, Native Canadian, Polar Regions
-
Hardback
- ISBN
- 9781772272505
- Publish Date
- Jan 2020
- List Price
- $16.95
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Where to buy it
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age: 6 to 8
- Grade: 1 to 3
- Reading age: 6 to 8
Description
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.
About the authors
Of Inuit-Cree ancestry, Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley was born in a tent on northernmost Baffin Island. She learned Inuit survival lore from her father, surviving residential school and attending university. In 2012, she was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for numerous cultural writings. Of Scottish-Mohawk ancestry, Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley was born in southern Ontario, learning woodcraft and stories from his father. Training as an artist, then writer, Sean’s sci-fi work won 2nd place at the California-based Writers of the Future contest, published by Galaxy Press. Rachel and Sean have worked for decades as Arctic researchers and consultants. In writing together, they have published 10 successful books and many shorter works, celebrating the history and uniqueness of Arctic shamanism, cosmology, and cosmogony. Their novel, Skraelings: Clashes in the Old Arctic, was a Governor General Awards Finalist and First Prize Burt Award winner.
Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley's profile page
Of Inuit-Cree ancestry, Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley was born in a tent on northernmost Baffin Island. She learned Inuit survival lore from her father, surviving residential school and attending university. In 2012, she was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for numerous cultural writings. Of Scottish-Mohawk ancestry, Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley was born in southern Ontario, learning woodcraft and stories from his father. Training as an artist, then writer, Sean’s sci-fi work won 2nd place at the California-based Writers of the Future contest, published by Galaxy Press. Rachel and Sean have worked for decades as Arctic researchers and consultants. In writing together, they have published 10 successful books and many shorter works, celebrating the history and uniqueness of Arctic shamanism, cosmology, and cosmogony. Their novel, Skraelings: Clashes in the Old Arctic, was a Governor General Awards Finalist and First Prize Burt Award winner.
Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley's profile page
YONG LING KANG is an illustrator who grew up in Singapore and is now based in Toronto, Ontario. She is fascinated by storytelling, and has honed her craft through picture books, Manga, cartoons, and formal schooling in an animation program. She has illustrated several picture books, including The Midnight Club, This House Is Home, and William's Getaway.
Editorial Reviews
"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
"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
"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
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
"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
"[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
"A realistic and entertaining tale of animal rescue and the thrill of seeing an animal return to the wild to live."—School Library Journal
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