DECATUR - Spud is in good company.

Not only does the great horned owl frequently mother young owl chicks brought into the Illinois Raptor Center, she's now immortalized in a chapter of Joan Harris' book, "The Least of These."

The book, both illustrated and written by Harris, tells the story of rescue and rehabilitation of wild baby birds from Alaska to New York to Hawaii to Decatur and in between. She even had a photograph of Spud which she used as the basis of one of her scientific illustrations.

Spud will be on site and sign copies of "The Least" from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, at Backyard Birds, 2920 Mount Zion Road.

Well, Spud won't actually "sign" the books, but her talon print will be on bookmarks made and also signed by Jane Seitz, executive director of the Illinois Raptor Center. Seitz is also in the book.

For a $20 donation, participants will receive a bookmark and copy of the book; part of the donation goes to the raptor center.

Harris answered some questions by telephone before she left Thursday from her Alaska home in Anchorage's only suburb to spend some time in the warmer clime of Tucson, Ariz.

"About 10 degrees," she said, "but that's warmer than it has been. It's real frosty; they call it ice fog."

Q: How did you find these special birds and these centers?

After searching on the Internet, Harris found the centers through the Audubon Society and while she hasn't visited all of them, she has been in contact via email and telephone.

"The portrait I did of Spud?" continued Harris, was based on a photograph provided by Chris Young from the Illinois Raptor Center board. She enjoyed the picture captured on film, complete with mouse hanging out of Spud's mouth.

Q: How/why did you start as both an illustrator and author?

"I majored in art in college," said Harris, "and I've always loved to draw."

After moving to Alaska in 1983, she became interested in the Bird Treatment and Learning Center there (similar to the Illinois Raptor Center) and wanted to help them do some fund raising.

So she did some sketches for them, explaining that, "I'm what you call a scientific illustrator. I draw exactly like it is. I'll draw the dropped wing if that's what they have."

The writing came because she discovered each bird, each rescue center had a story. But, she added, the writing is the hard part for her.

Q: Do you have the birds tell their own stories?

"These are all factual, things that really happened," she said and the stories are recounted that way, not as if the animal was telling it.

Another reason she decided to write was the people who work with the birds for rehabilitation, "People like Jane (Seitz) who do some amazing things for animals. All of the different centers have great stories."

About the book

'The Least of These: Rescuing and Rehabilitating Wild Baby Birds'

TYPE: Softbound, 8" x 9," 64 pages, 26 color illustrations

PUBLISHER: Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company (WestWinds Press), Portland, Ore.

LIST PRICE: $16.95

AVAILABLE: amazon.com; barnesandnoble.com; powells.com; booksense.com; Haines & Essick Co. will order the book also or contact the Illinois Raptor Center, 963-6909, or barnowl@;illinoisraptorcenter.org.

Arlene Mannlein can be reached at amannlein@;herald-review.com or

421-6976.