Although there is just some work that still needs to be done on this book, especially when it comes to my new pet peeve of using watermarked photographs I am pretty much happy. Actually to really say I wish that I had had this book when I was younger or was even able to go to the camp where the Core Skills are taught. As they say if wishes were horses....

I wasn't quite sure what to make of this book to begin with. Fortunately there was a nice little introduction that gives the reader a definiton for your backyard, tries to get them engaged by giving them a local name (it was said these names were going to be used throughout the book but I didn't see any) and trying to excite children.

From there the book takes over being a mixture of an outdoors journaling workbook with exercises for children that puts them out in nature where they can learn important skills such as being observant, patient, using all their senses and wanting to learn more just to name a few skills.

The book is broken into five sections with each section providing three core routines to learn, which will help the child to get more out of the section in the book. These instructions and exercises are normally followed by pages, which encourage the reader to either map, journal or sketch their resulting experiences.

The book is also filled with fun stories from different people and their author who explain how these core routines have helped them as well as what they have seen.

The writing is very easy and simple to follow while the instructions are few. Children are encouraged to go the extra mile but at the same time cautioned to be careful.

The book itself is colorful and creative with some pages resembling notebook paper, graphing paper or a regular book with colorful books. There are sketches, illustrations and photographs that are all combined but not to the point where they are clashing with each other.

As a work-in-progress there are plenty of spots where page numbers have not been added, an occasional editorial comment and still some photographs with watermarks on them. In the final copy I would hope they would take time to find photos that are not watermarked.

Otherwise this will be a fun and great book for nature-minded children or even some adults who won't mind overlooking the child-aimed target. There is an address in the back where to get a nature course completion certificate for those who would really want it otherwise this is not a good book to be shared publically due to the interactive nature it contains.

***I received a free copy to read of this book in exchange for an honest review.***

A wonderful book for children nature explorers.
Perhaps it is a skill that is being lost, or at least for children living in large cities, however the author mentions that any tree or garden can be explored. In the content you can find magnificent explorer children’s texts, some almost poetic that moved me.

The author details how to carry out well-established exploration and observation strategies, so that children can educate and open their senses to details that would otherwise be overlooked, while the child uses his innate capacity for scientific curiosity and amazement. .

I consider that the practice of core routines helps children develop discipline, patience, self-control, trust, scientific thinking, record of observations (development of written language skills), respect and love for nature, knowledge and could even discover new species, patterns and animal behaviors, recognize that we are part of the natural world ... all this seems deeply valuable and the most natural, fun and integrative way to learn.

My sincere appreciation to the Publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review the book

Both mindfulness and exposure to nature are much-needed in today's society, where kids spend a lot of time indoors and on electronic devices. This info book/journal encourages quiet appreciation of the outdoors!

There is no shortage of kids books about exploring nature. Most focus on identifying animals or plants. That is certainly an element of this book. The larger focus, though, is on mindfulness. How do we identify animal tracks other than by making observations? It's about making a closer connection with your environment, even when its quite familiar. And that's worth celebrating.

Part field journal, part informational book, Put on Your Owl Eyes is a wonderful tool for the curious child to use to experience nature in their own world. I appreciate that it is flexible with the natural environment available to the child. Finding a "sit spot" doesn't have to mean going into the middle of a forest. I also enjoyed the reference to animal movements and habits, such as putting on your "fox feet" to teach children to move quietly through nature, "deer Ears" to listen, and finding "fox spots" to observe nature.
This book will teach the child how to observe, track, journal about, map, practice gratitude for, and truly experience nature. This will be on my child's must-buy list for sure!

I've flipped through a lot of books that are intended to get kids interested in nature and exploring the outdoors, but I've never read one quite like this one! This book goes beyond just observing - it's meant to fully engage kids in the world of nature, to get them looking and listening and thinking and feeling and pretending. It's beautiful. It might be a bit much for some readers who are looking for a few quick activities to try while they're playing outside, but for those who are looking to have a more meaningful experience during their time spent outdoors, this is a great guide for that.

The book contains an introduction (which explains a bit about the book and how to use it, as well as inviting readers to discover a "nature nickname" for themselves), then 5 sections: first a general "get to know your backyard" section, then sections devoted to trees, mammals, birds, and community. Each section has 3 exploration activities, such as mapping, tracking, journaling, or practicing skills like looking with "owl eyes" or listening with "deer ears". Scattered throughout the book are short pieces about experiences with nature from the author as well as other writers, photos of plants and animals, and blank sections with questions and prompts for writing or drawing. The author explains concepts such as habitats, tracking, bird sounds, etc. and then includes some activities to further explore the topics. The book ends with a section called "Your Backyard Journey Continues," where all the amazing things readers have learned and done throughout the book are recapped, adding a nice feeling of accomplishment. For readers who are interested (and willing to pay a fee), there are also instructions for submitting the work done within the book for a "backyard nature guide certification" (aka: certificate of completion) through the Flying Deer Nature Center, which is a wilderness school for kids and families; its Program Director, Devin Franklin, is the author of the book. Finally, there's a "Connections" section with information and websites for other nature organizations and programs.

For some readers, perhaps those who are just starting to form an appreciation for the outdoors, it may feel a bit overwhelming - there are a lot of activities, and many require a lot of patient, quiet observing. But for readers who want to start paying more attention to their surroundings and learning how to really listen to and learn from nature, this is a goldmine of exercises and ideas. I think this book will inspire a true love of and appreciation for nature in a lot of kids, setting them on the path to becoming budding naturalists.


{ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy. My reviews are honest and my opinions are my own; your reading experience may vary, so give it a read and see what you think. :) }

This is a wonderful tool for kids to use to study, reflect on, and appreciate their natural surroundings.
The stories shared struck a deep cord with me, and the exercises were thought-provoking and meaningful to the work this book requests of its reader. I hope this gets in many hands. We need more awareness and reflection in the world.

Put on Your Owl Eyes: Open Your Senses & Discover Nature's Secrets; Mapping, Tracking & Journaling Activities by Devin Franklin is currently scheduled for release on May 14 2019. This book is intended to help readers see the natural world around them with brand new eyes. It will teach them to follow its signs, hear its language, and understand its secrets. The book is written by expert environmental educator Devin Franklin, for kids aged 8 to 13 to read and build their own relationship with nature. From the Six Arts of Tracking (Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How) and making a habitat map to walking in smooth silence like a fox and learning the basics of bird language, exploration exercises lead young readers on a fascinating journey of discovery as they watch, listen, map, interpret, and write about the sounds, sights, scents, and patterns they encounter. There are journaling prompts, map-making activities, and observational tracking pages throughout.

Put On Your Owl Eyes is a book that offers personal accounts from the author, inspiration for readers to slow down and notice the wonders of nature, and activities and challenges that can help keep them engaged and interested. I really liked the balance between the personal stories, activities, and information. I think some readers with be skimming over some of the terminology that is explained, as if they are already interested in nature and the environment they will already know the vocabulary, however I am glad that the explanations are there because newcomers to the terms might feel left out or discouraged with out those explanations. It will encourage engaged readers to do further research and explorations- which is the point of the book. The photographs and text are well balanced, keeping the interest and focus of the reader moving. The journal entry spaces and writing prompts might be small for some readers, depending on their writing ability and style, but that is hard to judge since I was reading a digital copy rather than a paper edition which might be larger than I picture. As a whole I think this would be a fantastic read for middle graders that love the outdoors and want to learn more about nature, or have a reason to spend time outside exploring. I like that the activities can be revisited continuously and some are designed to become part of a routine. I also like that at the end of the book there is a message of accomplishment and encouragement to continue for readers, and a list of organizations in a few states that could be good resources for readers.

Put On Your Owl Eyes is an interactive guidebook for middle grade readers. It is not a book to sit and read through; it is a book to explore, fill with experiences, and return to as desired.

As a homeschooling mom this is a great book to add to our library. We love to do nature walk, hikes, and studies and this works perfect.

A fantastic book that I know my nature loving children will enjoy. The presentation, information, and activities are all great. I look forward to sharing this book with my kids and trying some of the activities with. I will update my review once we have taken the time to explore a bit more with the book.

A great book for kids/parents who want some outdoor exploration activities. My library probably won't purchase this book, because it does encourage writing thoughts in the book, but I work with an environmental education program and we will purchase this book to use there.

This is an excellent book that guides kids through fifteen steps to get closer to nature in their own backyard or other outdoor area. The book is full of anecdotes and step by step directions, as well as pages for kids to record their experiences. It has a lot of text, so I would say it’s probably best for for 7-11 year olds, depending on the child!

Start the new year out fresh with your children. Get out your owl eyes and get outside!
This book is a wonderful trek through the outdoors that will draw your children outside to explore. Using the book, you will track animals in your backyard, learn about your neighborhood trees, identify the bird friends in your yard, and even begin a nature journal.

If you have middle grade children, you could use this book as the basis for a homeschool science course filled with art and writing opportunities! You could even put everything else aside for a few weeks and use this book as a unit study, working through one chapter each week.

Any of us with children know that January is a time of the year that can be dull and unexciting for our children. Schooling is getting old, the weather is not warm and inviting. It seems to our children that spring will never, ever come again! But this wonderful book can help your child start the new year with fresh, owl eyes!

I am not 100% sure that we at the library I work at are going to purchase this book, but I also work for an outdoor education facility and we definitely have put this book on our radar to but when it is published for a wide variety of uses with our displays, hand outs, camps, and educational programming. A lot of these were concepts I was already familiar with personally but the book does a great job of breaking this down for younger readers or for a child and parent who maybe are not experienced with outdoor exploration as much. I really enjoyed the format of this book and think it's a great resource for getting our youth back involved with and inspired by nature!

Put On Your Owl Eyes will introduce the environmental issues to a child in a very interesting and activating style. I especially liked the authors’ writings on their own experiences of nature. There plenty of exercises and activities for the reader to do and all the basic terminology is explained.
What left me a little bit lukewarm, is the layout of the book. It looks an awful lot like a basic school textbook and not in a positive way. I was though reading a copy that had still just stock photos etc. so perhaps the layout will still change.
Content-wise I’m sure this will interest children who like nature and give them new perspectives on how to get even more familiar with their home surroundings. I sure would have loved this book as a kid.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced look into this book in exchange for an honest review.

More than activity book, Putting on your Owl Eyes, is an adventure. Whether your child is an explorer or a Saturday afternoon reader, this book can provide hours of education and seemingly endless adventures.

The author shares her experiences outdoors through the eyes of several animals from the places they habitat. She encourages our children to start in their own backyards before venturing further into their communities is genius. Her suggestions for drawing, journaling and reflecting provide a nature connection that can be shared by your entire family.

A totally awesome book for kids about nature and what you can find in your own backyard. There are lots of pictures and quizzes and ideas for kids to help create and to observe nature.

You can tell that this book is written by an expert educator. Put On Your Owl Eyes is a guidebook for children who want to explore the everyday nature around them. The book brings details to life and encourages kids to experience nature with as many senses as possible. There are several activity pages, which may prove challenging for library collections, but will be a huge asset to elementary school teachers.