But I assumed that at night, they all went home and wrote. I knew that some adults were teachers, librarians, dentists, bus drivers, and storekeepers. My parents’ closest friends were writers, too, so growing up I thought all adults were writers. My mother wrote short stories and made crossword puzzles. My father was a reporter and a publicity man. YOLEN: My parents were both writers-and readers. How did that heritage influence your writing? What other factors or people have influenced your career? JL: You come from a family that is rich in words. Go out with a partner, carry a flashlight, a magnifying glass, plastic baggies for samples of feathers, rocks, leaves, etc., a notebook and pen, and the guidebooks. I would invest in some good guidebooks, such as the Audubon books. YOLEN: Even in cities, there are parks, birds, animals, worms, rocks, sky, wind, sun, and seasons. How can city kids learn about nature and begin to appreciate its beauty? JL: Like you, many children grow up in cities, away from nature. Owl Moon and her writing career in general. I recently had a chance to talk with Yolen about The images, evoked from both the words and the illustrations, are so powerful that even children who don’t live in snowy areas enjoy the journey. Owl Moon is rich in curricular opportunities but also offers a cozy, quiet story for sharing. Combining personal narrative, poetry, and the beauty of nature,

While many of her books have become staples of classroom reading and activities, Luckily, her interest and knowledge expanded, and she has chosen to write about birds and other creatures of nature in many of her more than 200 books for children and teens.

While she was growing up in New York City, Jane Yolen’s knowledge of birds began and ended with pigeons. A twentieth anniversary edition was released last year with a new cover and letters from the author and illustrator. Although other publishers turned down the book for being “too quiet,” Jane Yolen and John Schoenherr’s Owl Moon won the 1988 Caldecott Medal.

“If you go owling / you have to be quiet, / that’s what Pa always says.” Twenty years ago Philomel published a magical book about a young child who goes out with her father to find a great horned owl one snowy night.

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