Owl Babies

Submitted by Ms. Jill!
Owl Babies by Martin Waddell, illustrated by Patrick Benson. Sarah, Percy, and Bill are baby owls. They live in a hollow-tree nest with their Owl Mother. Owl Babies is the story of what happens one evening when the little owls wake to find their mother missing. The deep nighttime woods are dark and filled with unseen things that move, and the young birds must be brave. Sarah and Percy make guesses about where the mother owl might have gone (hunting, to get food!) and what she will bring them (“mice and things that are nice”), and when (soon!). All the smallest owlet Bill can muster is an increasingly worried, “I want my mommy!” When she does not come home right away, they begin to worry: what if their mother is lost? Or caught by a predator? As the waiting draws out, the little owls draw together, finding comfort by roosting in a tight bunch as they watch for their mother’s return. When at long last the mother owl does return to her babies, they nearly miss her arrival, having squeezed their eyes tight to wish for her! All worry is forgotten as the little owls bounce and dance with delight. Waddell’s spare, simple sentences and Benson’s lovely dark ink-and-watercolor illustrations make this very short story absolutely gripping for young listeners. The baby owls’ determination to be brave for one another, their growing anxiety, and the release of tension when Mother returns are perfectly captured. This is a gem to be shared again and again. See this book listed in our catalog