Book Review: Owl Babies

Story –

This is a story of 3 baby owls Sarah, Percy and Bill, who wake up one night to find that their Owl Mother is not there in the nest. The eldest one Sarah tries to think of a scenario that their mother must have gone away for hunting. They wait for a long time.

Even after waiting for long, when their mother does not return, they get scared. Sarah keeps on affirming positively to her siblings suggesting the Owl Mother will come soon, she will bring them mice and other nice things and they should be brave. This sounds comforting to Percy but the little one, Bill, is inconsolable. He keeps on saying “I want my mummy”.

At one point, Sarah and Percy think of their mother getting lost or a fox might have got her. To deal with their fear, they close their eyes and wish their Owl Mother would come.

The mother, later, comes back and the owl babies get excited on seeing her. The mother asks them about the fuss they were making and didn’t they know she would come back. The story ends on a happy note with the little Bill saying “I love my mummy”.

My review

This is a classic picture book written by Martin Waddell and is illustrated by Patrick Benson.

Though, it starts with the owl babies expressing their fears but the solace of the Owl Mother returning at the end is soothing. It ensures a good night sleep for the little ones after the read aloud time. The illustrations leave a huge impact in terms of creating the night setting with the black background and the white colour of the owl babies who are of different sizes conveying the difference in their ages authentically. This story can be a starting point for discussing owls for their nocturnal traits with children between 3-4 years age.

My Verdict

This book is appropriate for children in the age group 2-4 and is available in various formats – paperback only, paperback with DVD, board book and pop-up book.

The first time when you read this book to the children, the black background in the illustrations depicting the night along with the frightened owl babies can be daunting for the children. However, the joyful ending makes sure that the little ones will love this book and will go back, again and again, to have this book read aloud to them.

Also Read: Book Review: Pop-up Pull-out Picture Atlas

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