Out of all Billy’s animals kept as pets, initially only Mutt is considered a member of the family. How does this gradually change after the addition of Wol and Weeps? What situations in the novel most strongly convey the closeness Billy feels to the owls, and how do these events and circumstances help to develop the theme of The Meaning of Family?

Teaching Suggestion: Students might benefit from initial discussion on the topic of pets as part of the family and the varying degree of closeness people feel with pets; generally, the novel suggests that animals can very much be a part of the family, providing love, support and friendship to children and adults. After composing individual responses, students might form small groups, compile a list of the “top 5” situations in the novel that most clearly convey Billy’s closeness to the owls, and post them for comparison to other groups’ responses.

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Owls in the Family Collage”

In this activity, students will create a collage of the species mentioned in Mowat’s novel.

Mowat references a variety of different animal species in his novel, many of which represent wildlife in the Saskatchewan region.