The House of Owls

2015

"Angell writes and draws with the absolute authority of one who has studied, rehabilitated, lived with and loved the animals his entire life."
It is rare and becoming rarer to find books so well illustrated by their authors."
An easy familiarity grew between the owls and the Angell family as it watched the drama of courtship, nesting and fledging play out, summer after summer." 

The Wall Street Journal Book Review, April 2015

"Thanks to this book, written and illustrated with tender, owl-loving care and reproduced with almost artisanal craft by Yale University Press, ordinary readers can share in the wit and wisdom Angell has gathered from the avian members of his extended family.  . . . each entry begins, not with a dry recitation of ornithological lore, but with a story." 

Natural History Magazine, June 2015

"Angell (Puget Sound Through An Artist's Eye, 2010, etc.) combines his skills as a naturalist and illustrator in this chronicle of a family of screech owls that nested in the backyard of his home and became part of his extended family; . . . A charming personal account accompanied by nearly 100 illustrations that underscores how owls and other birds enrich our lives." 

Kirkus Review, February 2015

"The artist and naturalist Tony Angell has written a fascinating, endearing book about these creatures, The House of Owls (Yale University) That's full of his beautiful drawings.  He chronicles nearly a quarter century of living with generations of screech owls that moved into a box he fastened to a tree near his bedroom window in the Pacific Northwest."  
For years, the woods around Angell's house went eerily, sadly quiet.  But then, one wintry night, he heard a familiar call, a whistle that exclaimed, "I am here!" again and again.  "I whistled back 'I'm here too'" Angell writes, "and I'm hopeful."  Like those owls, our gardens may be transient.  An yet, brimming with miracles, both blooming and winged, they offer the most precious gift.  All that raking, scraping, tilling and tending -- we do it in the name of hope" 

The New York Times Book Review / Holiday Books, December 2015

"The House of Owls, which won a National Outdoor Book Award last month, eventually broadens its scope to ponder All Things Owl, from habitat and interactions with humans to wonderful profiles of all 19 species found in North America." 

Cascadia Weekly/WORDS Community Books, March 2016

"House of Owls by Tony Angell (62) wins National Outdoor Book Award -- If you've thrilled to the haunting, magical sound of an owl on a summer's evening, you'll love Tony Angell's captivating book about these charismatic creatures."
Angell's beautifully crafted pen and ink drawings add an elegance to the book of which photos could never do justice.  All in all, it's a lovely book one that would make for a much-appreciated gift, and certainly deserving a prominent position on every owl fancier's bookshelf." 

University of Washington Department of Communications Newsletter, November 2015

"I'm am still spouting things I learned about owls after reading this lovelybook by Seattle naturalist/wildlife artist Angell about his life studying owls." 

Mary Ann Gwinn, Seattle Times: Gift Books, December 2015