The Snowy Owl Scientist by Mark Wilson
Published by Clarion Books on April 19, 2022
ISBN: 0358329590
Pages: 96
Genres: Animals
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction
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Come June of each year on the North Slope of Alaska in its northernmost town, the hunt is on for nesting snowy owls. These owls have been coming to this region to nest for thousands of years. It has been a passion for researcher Denver Holt who, since 1992, has been gathering data on one of the few owl species that actually make a nest. This is one of the latest in the “Scientist in the Field” series and it does not disappoint. The reader follows Holt as he treks this arctic region – the only region in the world where snowy owls raise their families. It is the only region that has the right temperature, food source, and isolation for the owls.  Understandable, non-scientific language paired with incredible photographs offered by Mark Wilson allows the reader to come away with a fascination and understanding of these birds and their importance to the ecosystem. With the Arctic warming, the permafrost thawing, and the encroachment of man leading to a decrease in lemmings (owls main food source), the fate of these incredible birds, like many other species, depends on how we care for them. Recommend for grades 3-7.

Reviewed by Kathy George, retired children’s librarian