Owl at Home (An I CAN READ Book) [Hardcover]

Arnold Lobel (Author)

Book Description

Relates five adventures of Owl.

Editorial Reviews

Review

What seems at first to be the winter of Owl's discontent proves in the end, like all true melancholy, to have its sweet and ultimately contenting facets. Alone throughout, Owl invites "poor old winter" to come in and sit by the fire, but the "guest" behaves so wildly that Owl has to shut it out. Another night he makes tear-water tea by thinking of sad things (all subtly echoing his own loneliness); elsewhere he is driven to run madly upstairs and down in order to occupy both parts of his house at once, and in the end the moon accompanies him home from the other-wise unpopulated seashore. "'What a good round friend you are! said Owl. . . (and he) did not feel sad at all." Nor will readers, for to add to the solo cast would clearly shatter the poignant perfection of Owl alone. (Kirkus Reviews) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Arnold Lobel (1933-1987) was the award-winning author and illustrator of many beloved children's books, including the classic I Can Read books about Frog and Toad, and the Caldecott Medal winning Fables.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc.; 1st edition (January 1, 1975)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060239484
• ISBN-13: 978-0060239480
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,047,193 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Arnold Lobel (1933-1987) was the award-winning author and illustrator of many beloved children's books, including the classic I Can Read books about Frog and Toad, and the Caldecott Medal winning Fables.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Owl is a hoot!, April 9, 2002

By 

Judith E. Pavluvcik (Dreaming of the beach in Hawaii, but living in the reality of the desert in Arizona!!) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Owl at Home Book and Tape (I Can Read Book 2) (Audio Cassette)

Owl At Home is the only Owl book that Lobel produced. Composed of five delightful tales, children will be delighted at the antics of owl and his misunderstandings!

In the story, The Guest, Owl invites winter into his home with all of her fury! Snow is everywhere and his pea soup becomes frozen. Shooing winter out the door, winter closes the door with a bang and Owl settles down once his fire is lit and warmth seeps back into this home. His soup thaws and Owl is once again contented!

Strange Bumps is hysterical as Owl tries to figure out why there are two bumps at the end of his bed, under his covers! Owls gyrations under the bed and under the covers are guaranteed to bring many laughs! Owl cannot figure out where they came from or why they will not leave. He finally settles into his easy chair in front of the fire to get a good nights sleep!

Tear-Water Tea is delightful as we see Owl cooking is favorite tear-water tea with his own tears. He thinks of all the sad things he can, such as mornings nobody saw because everybody was sleeping and pencils that are too short to use. Filling up his kettle with his tears, he is ready to enjoy his favorite tea! A tad bit salty for me though.

Upstairs and Downstairs depicts Owl running up and down his stairs to check on how the upstairs is doing and how the downstairs is doing. Owl does this all day long and into the evening and he discovers how tired he is and he cannot be in two places at once!

Owl and the Moon is a cute tale of Owl befriending the Moon. Owl knows that the Moon cannot fit through his door, and it saddens him that the Moon, his friend, cannot come into his house. Getting ready for bed, Owl notices that Moon is shining outside and has indeed followed him home. Going to sleep, Owl is no longer sad, as his friend is right outside his door.

Another wonderful Lobel, which is sure to delight and please readers young and old alike! I wish that Lobel had written more books on Owl!!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tear-Water Tea, December 5, 1999

By 

Jessica Davenport (Warwick, RI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Owl at Home (I Can Read Book 2) (Paperback)

My mother read this book to me and my sister when I was four or five. Years later I had forgotten most of the book, but the concept of Tear-Water Tea stuck with me. During a conversation with friends when I was in college, something came up that made me think of the 'things that were sad' that Owl thinks of to make his tea. I absently remarked, "Spoons that have fallen behind the stove and are never seen again." and a friend automatically said, "Pencils that are too short to use." After a chorus of, "You read that book too! " I called home and asked mom, "Remember that book...what was the title?" And bought my own copy.

"Owl at Home" is a 'beginning readers' book, but it's perfect for all ages. Younger children will enjoy having it read aloud and adults will laugh at Owl's escapades along with the kids.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Owl At Home in our hearts, May 21, 2000

By 

Rebecca Brown "rebeccasreads" (Clallam Bay, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Owl at Home (I Can Read Book 2) (Paperback)

Owl's adventures with The Guest, Strange Bumps, Tear-Water Tea, Up stairs & Downstairs & The Moon are passionate & dramatic. Tear-Water Tea is my favorite & my children would beg me to read this one over & over again. Tear-Water Tea is a bitter-sweet brew. This little book & the friendly, affectionate Owl were one of my children's best friends in their early years. They loved the ideas of looking at life the way Owl does, they blink in anticipation as the stories gather speed & they hoot with laughter at Owl's take on life, then they snuggled with satisfaction when it's all done & we've talked about it...