Otis the Owl

Naturalist and photographer Holland (Animal Legs) documents the early life of a baby barred owl. Close-range images show “Otis” emerging from his family’s tree hollow home, followed by his (unnamed) sister. Occasional questions (“Can you find the vole that Otis’ father just brought him?”) encourage children to engage with the photographs that dominate the pages; the text is crammed into a column along the right-hand edges. Holland’s photographs offer engaging shots of the owlets, but because Otis and his sister don’t stray far from the nest, there’s little variation in the images, most of which show them peering from the hole in the tree they inhabit. A closing section of quizzes, owl-related vocabulary, and other details add educational heft to this brief introduction to owls’ daily existence. Ages 4–9. (Feb.)