I Am Emily the Owl

Follow Emily the barn owl on an extraordinary journey through her life in the fields, unveiling the fascinating world of these secretive and enchanting creatures, written in rhyme by the much-loved poet, Pam Ayres.

Did you ever see us, in these fields and grassy places?
Sensed our silent wings; glimpsed our exquisite heart-shaped faces?

From the loss of her cherished barn to finding hope and a new home, discover the resilience and beauty of barn owls like Emily in I am Emily the Owl. Learn what sustains these graceful hunters, from their hunts for voles and mice to the snug boxes that become their sanctuaries.

Beautifully illustrated by award-winning artist Nicola O’Byrne, I am Emily the Owl is the third book in Pam Ayres’s Animal Stories series. Bursting with natural facts interwoven throughout the story, and with an information spread at the end that includes tips on how to spot these majestic creatures.

Pam Ayres has been a writer, broadcaster, and entertainer for over forty years. She is the author of several bestselling poetry books, including The Works, Surgically Enhanced, You Made Me Late Again!, and The Last Hedgehog. Pam’s autobiography, The Necessary Aptitude, was a bestseller. Her book Pam Ayres on Animals was the UK’s bestselling poetry book of 2021. On radio she is a regular on Just A Minute, has made six series of her own Ayres On The Air, and has appeared twice on the legendary Desert Island Discs. Pam performs her solo stage show throughout the UK, and lives in the Cotswolds, where she is an enthusiastic gardener for wildlife.

Nicola O’Byrne was born in Swaziland, grew up in Singapore and has lived in Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Edinburgh, London and Cambridge. When Nicola was five years old her parents banned Saturday morning television, and she has been drawing ever since. Nicola has a Bachelor’s degree in Illustration from Edinburgh College of Art and an MA (Printmaking) from Camberwell College of Art. In 2014 her picture book Open Very Carefully won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, the Stockport Children’s Book Prize and the Oldham’s Brilliant Book Award, was highly commended for the UKLA Book Award and shortlisted for Oscar’s First Book Prize and the Sheffield Children’s Book Award. She now lives in sunny Los Angeles with her husband, Sjoerd, and their invisible dog, Chewbacca.