Silent Swoop: An Owl, an Egg, and a Warm Pocket

Children’s book illustrated by deb hoeffner
Written by Michelle Houts
Dawn Publications
Book available here

An owl swoops down to lay her egg in a coal yard — a dangerous spot for a fragile egg! Rescued by Walter, a bird expert with a big heart and a warm pocket, the egg miraculously hatches and is aptly named Coal. Thus begins a tender story of rescue, rehabilitation, and most of all, friendship.

“This delighfully told true story will go in the owl section of my library. A story I won’t forget.” Jane Yolen, author of Owl Moon
“I hope you share Silent Swoop with children. Walter Crawford (the founder of the World Bird Sanctuary) said, “May you always be able to see a bird fly, a whale swim, a deer run, and fish leap in fresh water.”” Dawn M. Grifffard, Executive Director of the World Bird Sanctuary

“A wildlife rehabilitator rescues eggs laid under a coal conveyor belt at a power plant, hatches them, and raises great horned owls to be public ambassadors for their species. Houts pens a graceful, straightforward account of the rescue of a pair of eggs, carried to safety in Walter Crawford’s shirt pocket. One hatches. “And that’s the way it goes, sometimes,” he says. The survivor is named Coal for his origins and raised by bird sanctuary caregivers to help others learn about owls. Surprisingly, a year or two later, yet another egg appears under the conveyor belt in the power plant. Similarly rescued and hatched, Junior also becomes an owl ambassador. Softly realistic watercolor-and-pastel illustrations accompany the story, accentuating the mystery of the owl’s visits to the coal yard in the night as well as depicting Walter Crawford’s attentive care in the sanctuary. One spread features the owl showing off for a diverse group of schoolchildren sitting at the knee of the trainer, a woman of color. Crawford himself presents white. An author’s note explains the genesis of the story in the history of the World Bird Sanctuary in St. Louis, Missouri, and the details she had to fill in, including Crawford’s dialogue. That fictional memorable line helpfully reminds readers and listeners of the chanciness of such rescues and, appearing twice, nicely ties the narrative together. An engaging animal-rescue tale, smoothly told and pleasingly illustrated. (explore more, activities) (Informational picture book. 4-8)
—Kirkus Review

Young Coal hooting at his own reflection.

Coal all grown up

See the process of creating the cover illustration here