Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Owl Howl
Illustrator: Philippe Goossens
Picture Book
For ages 3 to 6
NorthSouth, 2011 ISBN: 0735840172
One afternoon all the animals in the forest heard a dreadful “Hoo…Hoo…” noise. The little hedgehog bravely ventured out to find out who was making the noise and he found a little owl standing on the ground “howling miserably.” The hedgehog asked the little owl if she had fallen out of her nest, but the youngster shook her head and “kept on howling.”
One by one the other animals in the forest try to find out what is distressing the little owl. The crow offers to play with her, the squirrel brings her a nut to eat, the mole gives the owl “something nice.” The stag beetle even threatens to “nip” the owl in the bottom because she is being naughty. Not surprisingly, this only makes the owl howl “even louder.” What on earth can be the matter with the little bird?
Children are sure to love this cleverly crafted picture book, where the narrative keeps them guessing and guessing until, at last, the little owl speaks. What she says is sure to make children and their grownups laugh out loud.
This title is part of a collection of picture books called Tuff Books that have tear-resistant and easy-to-clean pages so that toddlers can explore them without being able to damage them.
