Owl Sees Owl

by Laura Godwin, Rob Dunlavey (Illustrator)

Overview

A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

"Simple yet stirring, this is perfect for preschooler bedtimes."— Booklist starred review

Fans of the classic picture book Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and Patrick Benson will adore this utterly simple picture book in which a baby owl goes off on his first adventure.
 
With just three or four words per page, this story follows a baby owl one night as he leaves the safety of his nest (Home/Mama/Brother/Sister) and explores the starry world around him (Soar/Glide/Swoop/Swoosh). Inspired by reverso poetry, the words reverse in the middle when the baby owl is startled upon seeing his reflection in the pond (Owl/Sees/Owl). Afraid of it, little owl takes off toward home, soaring over farms and forests (Swoosh/Swoop/Glide/Soar) until he is finally safely home again (Sister/Brother/Mama/Home).

"Fans of Jane Yolen’s Owl Moon and Martin Waddell’s Owl Babies will also love this calming story about an owl’s first adventure." —School Library Journal, Starred

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780553497847
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	09/20/2016
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	52 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Laura Godwin has written many well-loved books for children, including the Doll People novels, which she co-authored with Ann M. Martin. She also works as a children’s book editor. She lives in New York City.

Rob Dunlavey is the illustrator of The Dandelion’s Tale by Kevin Sheehan, which was called “luminous” and “radiant” in a starred review by Kirkus Reviews; Over in the Wetlands by Caroline Starr Rose; and Counting Crows by Kathy Appelt. His artwork has been featured in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, BusinessWeek, and the Los Angeles Times, among many other publications. He lives in suburban Boston with his wife, two teenage daughters, a cat, and a tropical fish. Learn more at robd.com.

Editorial Reviews

…charming…Dunlavey's…lovely art marries midnight blues and bright fall leaves, making this a rare nighttime adventure that's both restful and playful.

The New York Times Book Review - Maria Russo

07/25/2016
A small barn owl embarks on a solo journey by night in this quietly enchanting reverie. Godwin (One Moon, Two Cats) traces the owl’s explorations in a single poem composed of four-line, four-word stanzas: “Home/ Mama/ Brother/ Sister/ Tree/ Nest/ Hop/ Look.” Midway through the owl’s travels, after it has flown past “Fall/ Leaves/ Red/ Yellow” and mice scampering over pumpkins, it spots its own reflection in a stream (“Owl/ Sees/ Owl”), and the poem’s mirrorlike structure is revealed; as the owl returns to its sleeping family, Godwin inverts the stanzas that appeared in the first half of the book, to almost palindromic effect. Working in a variety of media, Dunlavey (Over in the Wetlands) creates a sleepy rural landscape for the owl to traverse, shifting between close-ups of the bird, its white face aglow in the moonlight, and more distant views from above and below. It’s a story that finds a lovely balance between the joys of independence and the comforting security of home. Ages 3–7. Author’s agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. Illustrator’s agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"Those who enjoy poetry and picture books will find quiet contemplation in this obvious choice that will appeal to any audience."— School Library Journal starred review

 "A perfectly paced, holistically rendered home-away-home story."— Kirkus Reviews starred review

"Luminous blue-and-black-toned multimedia illustrations, rendered in soft shapes and rich colors, convey the quiet, dark beauty of an autumn night. Simple yet stirring, this is perfect for preschooler bedtimes."— Booklist starred review

"The moonlit nighttime scenes are luminous and peaceful, with the endearing little white owl shown against a neverfrightening night sky dotted with stars." — Horn Book starred review

From the Publisher

12/01/2016
PreS-Gr 1—One autumn night, a young owl awakens and goes for a brief moonlit flight while his parents and siblings slumber. Godwin's text—a spare reverso poem comprised of a few sight words per page—and Dunlavey's breathtaking illustrations, dominated by lush hues of blue, combine for a serene, lyrical tale that's bound to instill a love of poetry in children.

School Library Journal

★ 2016-06-22
Leaving the tree trunk where family slumbers, a fledgling owl explores the night world.Wide awake, Owl hops out of the tree nest where mother, brother, and sister sleep soundly and, with a "Jump, Flutter," and "Flap," flies above the fall woods with its red and yellow leaves. Soaring upward, Owl's eyes gleam in the moon's beam while "Stars Twinkle" and "Mice Scamper." Spying its reflection in some water, "Owl / Sees Owl," causing the young bird to turn back home, flying above the mice beneath the stars, past moon beams gleaming in deer's eyes, and over falling leaves to the family nest. The simple, often alliterative, onomatopoeic text forms a spare poem of single words arranged strategically on double-paged spreads to coordinate symbiotically with the luminous watercolor, colored pencil, ink, collage, and digital media illustrations, visually and verbally tracking Owl's foray away from and return back home. Deft use of reflected light, bird's-eye perspective, and a dark palette create an atmosphere of silent wonder. Observant readers will notice text and illustrations repeat in reverse order, beginning with "Home Mama Brother Sister" as Owl departs and closing with "Sister Brother Mama Home" as Owl returns safely home. A perfectly paced, holistically rendered home-away-home story. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews