Snow moon

K-Gr 2-In spare poetic text, a boy describes being awakened by an owl perched on his window ledge. He follows the creature through the nighttime terrain to a place where owls swarm like snowflakes but human life seems very far away. The artwork is done in shades of blue and white; the creative use of perspective and luminous expanses is electrifying. Details such as feathers floating in the child's bedroom raise intriguing questions and possibilities, as does the final picture, which shows a snow globe containing a scene of the boy with his arms lifted toward the moon, bringing the story out of the realm of day-to-day reality. The wild beauty that permeates the images is underscored by the fact that readers never see the youngster's face, only that of the owl. Brunelle is in every sense a gifted artist. His words are quiet, never contrived, at once haunting and comforting. The same can be said of the illustrations. This tale is perfect for bedtime, wintertime, or anytime.-Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A child sees an owl sitting outside the window, and, in a nighttime journey, follows the bird across snow laden fields, deep forests, and icy bridges to an owl gathering place called Owl Ridge. Though the story is slight, the language is lyrical, and the stunning illustrations are dominated by shades of blue, white, and gray. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.