Early Book Review: Owls in Our Yard!: The Story of Alfie by Carl Safina

Owls in Our Yard!: The Story of Alfie by Carl Safina is currently scheduled for release on June 25 2024. In the spring of 2019, ecologist Carl Safina and his wife, Patricia, took in little Alfie, a bedraggled Eastern Screech Owl chick who quickly became part of their family. With the Safinas’ care and expertise, the little owl grew, learned to hunt on her own, and eventually found her own family in a mate and chicks. As time passed, Carl realized that his bond with Alfie was greater than just saving her life—it offered wisdom, joy, and magic to him in return.

Owls in Our Yard! is a sweet and informational read about rescuing a baby owl and how the life of one rescued screech owl has gone so far. I enjoyed the mix of adorableness and learning about the real life happenings of little Alfie. I had never thought about how other birds might react to owls in the area and learned quite a bit about the life of screech owls. I do like that the author suggested getting information about local bird rescues to already have the information if one finds an injured bird, although I would have liked more guidance about finding an active rescue- although I do know that this information is always subject to change so I completely understand why they might not have done so.