More BIRD Talk: Meet Ruru, NIGHT HUNTER!

Speaking of birds, as I did in this recent post (HERE), a recent release deserves a close look, and is especially appealing with FALL outside our nighttime windows.

SCHOLASTIC, 2024

RURU: NIGHT HUNTER, by Kate Furze and Ned Barraud  reveals a specific variety of owl in New Zealand. Owl eyes are classically hypnotic, but this cover suggests how compelling the interior images and information are. I found myself enthralled with this owl, and traveled through time and spaces which might otherwise make me hesitate to go.

A young human in a bedtime window is featured in an opening spread, and then again as morning dawn nears. They are as fascinated by hidden nightlife as readers will be.

The main narrative and densely powerful illustrations convey a "night in the life" of an imagined individual RURU. Secondary/parallel text on most pages provide basic but interesting facts about this species as relate to each page's lyrical (and busy) male owl. He spends a moonlit night working to feed its mate and owlets, traveling through dark-toned but nevertheless luminous scenes that also inform readers about both similarities and differences from their own locations. 

Both text and images are dramatic and exciting, while providing essential information about food chains and other STEM material while allowing compare/contrast opportunities for varieties of similar animals in local and distant settings. 

The parallel text makes this appealing and useful across many ages, with back matter that can be used for further investigations.

For more suggestions of other bird picture books, check prior posts HERE, HERE, HERE, and many  more.