Owl Babies [Board book]

Martin Waddell (Author), Patrick Benson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 7, 1996 | Age Level: 1 and up

The bay owls came out of their house,
and they sat on the tree and waited.
A big branch for Sarah, a small branch for Percy,
and an old piece of ivy for Bill.

When three baby owls awake one night to find their mother gone, they can't help but wonder where she is. Stunning illustrations from unique and striking perspectives capture the owls as they worry about their mother: What is she doing? When will she be back? What scary things move all around them? Not surprisingly, a joyous flapping and dancing and bouncing greets her return, lending a celebratory tone to the ending of this comforting tale. Never has the plight of young ones who miss their mother been so simply told or so beautifully rendered.

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.

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

• Reading level: Ages 1 and up
  
• Board book: 22 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (October 7, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564029654
• ISBN-13: 978-1564029652
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.6 x 5.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Birds > Fiction
  • #34 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Baby-3 > Bedtime & Dreaming
  • #36 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 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 (Cary, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Owl Babies (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.

33 of 34 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 "madhaus" (Silicon Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Owl Babies (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.

16 of 17 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

This review is from: Owl Babies (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!