Owl Babies: Candlewick Storybook Animations [Paperback]

Martin Waddell (Author), Patrick Benson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: August 10, 2010 | Age Range: 3 - 7 years | Series: Candlewick Storybook Animation

A gentle tale of three baby owls reassures young children that Mommy will always come home.

When three baby owls awake one night to find their mother gone, they can’t help but wonder where she is. Stunning illustrations capture the worried owls as they wait—and the joyous flapping and bouncing and dancing that greet her return.

Includes:
*A full-color paperback picture book
*A DVD inside the front flap, featuring a fully animated story
*A sheet of reusable stickers

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

New to board book format is Martin Waddell's Owl Babies, in which three worried owlets wait for their mother to return from her night flight. Patrick Benson's disarming cross-hatched pictures of fluffy, wide-eyed owl babies, and the use of light colored text against a black background, turn this sweet story into a hauntingly lovely little book. (Candlewick, $6.99 22p ages 18 mos.
2 yrs. ISBN 1-56402-965-4, Oct.)
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Board book edition.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-- This simple story pales in comparison to the exceptionally well-crafted illustrations. Rendered in black ink and watercolor with an abundance of crosshatching used to show background, shadow, texture, and depth, each stunning woodcutlike panorama fills a double-page spread. Benson has chosen shades of turquoise, pale yellow, and light green for the large-type text in order to avoid detracting from the blue-and-green dominated paintings. Realistic as they appear, the three, fluffy, white baby owls and their mother are infused with distinct personalities. The owlets awaken one night to find their mother gone. Sarah, the largest, reasons that she is out hunting for food. Mid-sized Percy tends to agree, while tiny Bill will only repeat, ``I want my mommy!'' Mom, just out for a night flight, does return, of course, and her fledglings are delighted to see her. The repetition just doesn't work. The plot is too meager, the text too unexciting. Hutchins's Good Night Owl (Macmillan, 1991), Thaler's Owly (HarperCollins, 1982), and Yolen's Owl Moon (Philomel, 1987) are all better stories for preschoolers. Simple, well-written books about mother love and reassurance for this age group are abundant. --Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 7 years
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; Pap/DVD Re edition (August 10, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763650420
• ISBN-13: 978-0763650421
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 0.2 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (103 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,922 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #30 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Birds
  • #54 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Sleep
  • #61 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Family Life > Parents

More About the Author

Martin Waddell is the Hans Christian Andersen Medal winner 2004 and two-time Smarties Prize winner. Among his many books for children are the Little Bear and Farmer Duck series. Martin lives in Newcastle in County Down.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A very fun book to read with one's children May 30, 2003

By Robert Huffstedtler VINE™ VOICE

Format:Board book

I bought this book over two years ago, when my daughter was around 14 months and was just starting to visibly enjoy being read to. Two years later she still pulls it off the shelf sometimes and asks me to read it (usually around bedtime).

The plot is appropriately simple: Mama Owl goes out hunting for the night, and the three owl babies get progressively more worried and scared. When they have almost sunk into despair, mom comes home.

The illustrations are beautiful. Benson does an excellent job of evoking the fear of the wee owlets as they wait, and their exuberant joy upon mama's return. They are a perfect companion to Waddell's writing.

Waddell makes good use of parallelism. After a couple of readings, if you're child is verbal, expect her to be wailing "I want my mommy!" right along with you and baby Bill. Also, despite the brevity and simple vocabulary, one gets a real sense of the different personalities of the owl babies. As children's literature goes, this is a masterpiece.

Concurring with several other reviewers, I would agree that this is a great book to share with your kids if any of them suffer from separation anxiety.

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Whooooooo will like this? Your child! August 31, 2002

By Maddi Hausmann Sojourner

Format:Paperback

This is a terrific children's book. While the subject appears to be about baby owls, and it does cover a few interesting facts kids will like, there's more going on here. The book really addresses every child's greatest fear, being separated from a parent. The baby owls wake up and Mommy Owl is GONE!!! They confer with each other on where she could be, and they get more and more worried. But she returns at the end of the book, and assures them she will always come back.

The pictures are wonderful. Unlike most other birds, owls lay their eggs 2-3 days apart so the babies hatch on different days and thus are different sizes. My kids love how there is an oldest, a middle, and a youngest owl. They also like how the oldest tries to reassure the younger ones, and how the youngest always says the same thing.

The pale-yellow type on black is also neat, reminding kids that owls are nocturnal birds. The information says this book is for ages 3-7 but we read this to our kids before they were 2 and they loved it then and still love it now.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Touching,tender story of a mother's return to her babies! January 17, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Board book

This is one of those "special" books that you won't mind reading to your little one over and over again. I find that a great children's book is a lot like a great children's movie; both the parent and the child enjoy it yet at different levels. Such a tender story of a little one's fear that their parent won't come home. However, the beautiful and touching illustrations almost steal the show! You can see the worry in the little owl's eyes and hear little Bill's anxious "I want my Mommy!" My two year old daughter loves the part when it's "dark" outside because the artwork truly conveys the dark; but not in a scary way! I loved when the oldest owl, Sarah, suggests that they all sit on her limb together. My favorite illustration is when the mother owl returns and the 3 little fluffy baby owls are jumping up and down. You'll snuggle a little closer to your child when you read this one together. Just the sweetest little book you and your special one will ever read!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Mommy goes out, Mommy returns, all is well February 23, 2005

By Mom to two

Format:Hardcover

The editorial review and the aunt without children miss the point of this charming book -- Mommy may not always be right there, in sight, where you want her to be, but she will always return to you and your siblings. Turning to your siblings for comfort and support during this time away from Mommy is a good thing. Mommy doesn't "sneak out" -- Mommy Owl, like every other Mommy, must go and do things without her children at times, and they are not always aware of when she leaves. Hey, leaving the room to go make dinner constitutes "sneaking off" by my kids when they are too busy coloring to notice that I've left the room.

My 5 year old loves this book -- the repetition allows him to read parts of the story himself -- he has great delight in repeating Baby Owl's lines throughout the story.

Trust the reviews from parents with children who read this book together!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this book for your baby, child, friend.. May 23, 2001

By Beth

Format:Board book

Based on positive reviews, I ordered Owl Babies for my 3 yr old daughter. The story is enchanting, 3 owl babies wake up alone and fret over their missing mommy owl. Of course, mom comes back and all is well. The art work is incredible, you will feel the need in the babies eyes as they wait for their mommy. We now read this book every night before bedtime, and it brings us to a very intimate point before the little one nods off to sleep.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My daughter loves it and I do to. September 7, 1998

By A Customer

Format:Board book

When we first received this book as a gift, the cover made me think we had yet another not-so-well-written book about animal babies. But once we read it I saw that we had received a treasure. A wonderful story, with a soothing rhythm and predictable words that our almost-3-year-old is learning by heart. A favorite bedtime read.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Utterly perfect September 15, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

I first came across this truly beautiful book when it was read on Teletubbies one morning. I cried! - and simply had to buy a copy for my little girl. Abby is now almost two and we read this book every night - often more than once. It is the most interactive book she has - she pulls sad faces and everytime Bill says "I want my mummy", Abby screws up her face and says "Ohhhh poor Bill!" When mummy finally comes home she is so excited that she too flaps up and down! She adores its. I couldn't recommend this book highly enough. Every child needs their own copy of this, Martin Waddell's and Patrick Benson's finest work.