Jackson, a great horned owl, chooses to stay with the family that raised him after a boy stole him from his nest when he was just an owlet.

From the Author (Robbyn van Frankenhuyzen): "For twenty years we have rehabilitated a wide variety of wild critters, from fawns, foxes, skunks, and crows to opposums, raccoons, rabbits, and owls. Some of the animals were injured adults, others were orphaned babies, but all of them were in need of a little help to get them back into the wild. Growing up on a farm, as well as my training as an animal technician, prepared me for many of the medical situations that arose. Gijsbert took every opportunity to sketch, paint, and photograph our temporary guests during their stay on the farm. More importantly, Gijsbert was issued all the Federal and State permits needed to care for birds of prey. Without these permits, we would never have been able to care for hawks and owls. For good reason, caring for these birds is very tightly regulated and closely monitored. Taking an owl from its nest is dangerous and illegal. We have cared for many Great Horned Owls but none of them were like Jackson, the owl in this story. His personality was unique from the very beginning and we know that we were lucky to have shared such a close bond with this wild bird. This is the true story of his life with us. Enjoy." With illustrations from Gjisbert (Nick) van Frankenhuyzen, noted wildlife artist and illustrator of our Legends series as well as The Blue Spruce by Mario Cuomo and L is for Lincoln: An Illinois Alphabet.

Illustrations and text chronicle Gijsbert and Robbyn van Frankenhuyzen's efforts to rehabilitate Jackson, a great horned owl they cared for and released back into the wild.

Juvenile Nonfiction. Nature. Picture Book Nonfiction. HTML:

A Read Michigan Notable Book and Winner of the Michigan Reading Association's Great Lakes' Great Book Award

When a young boy makes a foolish decision to steal a great horned owlet from its nest, a licensed animal rehabilitator and his family take the owl in to care for him and train him to reenter the wild. While the family has rehabilitated many animals over the years, Jackson the owl proves to be like no other.

This is the stunningly illustrated remarkable true story of Jackson the owl and the first in the Hazel Ridge Farm series, by wife and husband author and illustrator team Robbyn Smith van Frankenhuyzen and Gijsbert (Nick) van Frankenhuyzen, who share their personal accounts of wildlife rehabilitation that teach children a respect for animals and their natural habitats.

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Gijsbert (Nick) and Robbyn van Frankenhuyzen have spent years rehabilitating injured and orphaned animals and restoring them back into the wild. They've cared for many great horned owls, but none were as special as Jackson. From frightened owlet to rehabilitation and release into the wild, readers will be utterly charmed by the personality of this exceptional bird, and the family that he came to claim as his own. - Dust jacket.