Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-These three stories have been adapted and designed for the toddler crowd. In the first warm and gentle tale, an owlet gets separated from her mother and starts to howl loudly. All the forest animals try in earnest to calm her, from a concerned mole to a gruff stag beetle. It is only after the baby owl sees her mother on a tree branch above that she stops howling and flies into her comforting arms. The deep, earthy tones affectionately convey this sweet story about separation. The second book is a scaled-down version of Chicken Chickens (NorthSouth, 2001). It follows a pair of young chicks on their first visit to the neighborhood playground. They arrive with their mom and are overwhelmed at all of the bustling activity. As they wander around, new friends invite them to play but each time they demure saying, "Oh, no! Little chicks can't do THAT!" Finally, a group of mice and a beaver encourages them to attempt the slide and, with the help of the other animals, they succeed. Whimsical drawings help readers follow along on this playground adventure. In the third book, Rainbow Fish and his friends are afraid of the new whale that is hanging out in the area, eating all their food and staring at them. Rainbow Fish soon learns that the whale only wanted to make friends and that he has been hurt by the others' mean words and actions. Additional purchases for preschool collections or libraries that offer lap-sit programs.-Melissa Smith, Royal Oak Public Library, MI (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
In response to a little owl's howling, various forest animals take turns trying to determine the problem and stop her tears. The bulbous-eyed owl is uncommonly sympathetic thanks to Goossens's illustrations. When the owl is back under her mom's wings, readers will exhale with relief--before they grin at the punch line. Previously published in a smaller "tuff book" edition. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A baby owl in distress brings out the best in all the forest animals.The silence of the dark night is disrupted by a terrible howl. Could it be a wolf? The hedgehog is the first animal to find the howler, a tiny owl with enormous eyes. Next come a crow, the industrious ant and the squirrel. None can get the owl to explain her distress or get her to stop crying, even with offers of food and fun. The mole tries a bribe of a beautiful flower necklace...which also doesn't work, though it looks nice hanging around the owl's neck. The stag beetle tries tough love, but this only makes the owl howl even louder. Feeling terrible, the stag beetle then suggests rocking the little owl to calm her andfinds a cobweb that, stretched between two trees like a hammock, is perfect for the job. They rock the little owl while the mole sings a lovely lullaby. Suddenly, the little owl flies out of her makeshift hammock and into the air, landing in the wingsof Mommy Owl, who gently asks what's wrong. And the little owl stops howling. The slight bedtime story is enhanced by beautiful illustrations in deep hues and an offbeat cast of forest animals. Laminated pages make it appropriately sturdy for the very young target audience.It may not be especially new, but it is awfully sweet. (Picture book. 3-5)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
