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adeleon's review against another edition
5.0
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book is about a child and their father who lives in the countryside, going out into the woods on a cold and snowy night. The child explains that they were going owling. With each turn of the page, the child explained more about owling: how you must be quiet, and cold, and brave. The story was written as lusciously as the illustrations. In the end, they saw the owl, a big, beautiful, brown owl. Once it flew off, they headed home, satisfied by their owling experience.
I highly recommend this book, and I couldn’t recommend it enough. Though the story was simple, the author put so much effort into making the reader feel like they were there with them, owling too. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath when the owl responded to the fathers calls. I only breathed again after the owl took off. The illustrations were gorgeous, especially the full page dedicated to the owl bathed in flashlight. This book was a great example of losing oneself in the story, and I could see any child falling in love with reading from this book.
This book is about a child and their father who lives in the countryside, going out into the woods on a cold and snowy night. The child explains that they were going owling. With each turn of the page, the child explained more about owling: how you must be quiet, and cold, and brave. The story was written as lusciously as the illustrations. In the end, they saw the owl, a big, beautiful, brown owl. Once it flew off, they headed home, satisfied by their owling experience.
I highly recommend this book, and I couldn’t recommend it enough. Though the story was simple, the author put so much effort into making the reader feel like they were there with them, owling too. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath when the owl responded to the fathers calls. I only breathed again after the owl took off. The illustrations were gorgeous, especially the full page dedicated to the owl bathed in flashlight. This book was a great example of losing oneself in the story, and I could see any child falling in love with reading from this book.
cboettcher's review against another edition
5.0
This Caldecott Medal winner from 1987 chronicles one young girl’s first time owling with her father.
It’s impossible to describe how it feels to read this book. Yolen says it best herself in the last page of the book: “When you go owling you don’t need words or warm or anything but hope,” and that is what she provides in the story. The words are simple, poetic, and minimal. The colors are cool and beautifully depict the darkness of winter, but there is hope to find an owl throughout the story, and when it happens it is a phenomenal sight.
Not many books showcase the beauty of nature and the relationship between father and daughter the way that Owl Moon does, so much so that it becomes impossible to describe. The only thing that can be said is that it is a wonderful book that builds appreciation for the simple things in life. Readers of any age can and should take a moment of their lives every once in awhile to enjoy the simplicity of this book and to gain a deeper appreciation of nature.
It’s impossible to describe how it feels to read this book. Yolen says it best herself in the last page of the book: “When you go owling you don’t need words or warm or anything but hope,” and that is what she provides in the story. The words are simple, poetic, and minimal. The colors are cool and beautifully depict the darkness of winter, but there is hope to find an owl throughout the story, and when it happens it is a phenomenal sight.
Not many books showcase the beauty of nature and the relationship between father and daughter the way that Owl Moon does, so much so that it becomes impossible to describe. The only thing that can be said is that it is a wonderful book that builds appreciation for the simple things in life. Readers of any age can and should take a moment of their lives every once in awhile to enjoy the simplicity of this book and to gain a deeper appreciation of nature.
mjjohn3's review against another edition
5.0
Didn’t realize this was a children’s book until today. My friend bought it as part of her homeschooling curriculum and it is lovely. Beautiful illustrations.
mwbuell's review against another edition
Good for teaching figurative language; metaphors and similes
typesetjez's review against another edition
4.0
Lovely book about nature and a father/child relationship. The best part, by far, is the art, which spreads nicely over the page and fits around the text without crowding it or leaving too much negative space. Everything is balanced well and uses a good combination of ink lines and water color paint, which captures winter exactly. The owl itself is presented in great detail, which will interest young readers at the same time it educates them (without their knowing).
allmadhere106's review against another edition
3.0
I appreciate Yolen's power for spinning a whimsical tale, regardless of her backdrop. Here we see a child go "owling" for the first time and the book has a strong appreciation for nature throughout. I found the book charming, but not one that I will read often again unless I have a child who falls in love with it.
For: owl fans and lovers of the outdoors; readers wanting a book about a nature walk.
Possible red flags: some readers may be disappointed in the plot, as the story is truly about the journey instead of the destination.
For: owl fans and lovers of the outdoors; readers wanting a book about a nature walk.
Possible red flags: some readers may be disappointed in the plot, as the story is truly about the journey instead of the destination.
simplymary's review against another edition
5.0
Really beautiful illustrations...hence the Caldecott Medal. The narrator recalls going owling as a young child with her father, in the cold, dark woods. There's an animal hiding on almost every page, and then comes the majestic owl at the end!
meganreads5's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kinsey304's review against another edition
3.0
_Owl Moon_ has won the Caldecott Medal. I was not intrigued with the story overall. I think as a book it appears to be very sophisticated; however, I do not find the story as interesting because it does not provoke my imagination.
I think this book is appropriate for children in first grade or older simply because it does seem more sophisticated, and it does not have a capturing storyline. The length of reading on each page would require a child to have a longer attention span.
The artwork is very intricate and detailed. I believe it does not play a crucial role to understanding the entire story, but it does add to it, especially when the narrator says the snow was "whiter than the milk in a cereal bowl." In this scene, the illustrations add to the story by the abrupt whiteness of the snow. Also, when the father shines a light on the owl, the illustration seems to capture that moment very well, showing the reader the light shining on the owl. This is done by using shadows. There are many shadows throughout the entire book, which I believe add to the idea of "owling" being at night. The snow adds a brightness to each illustration. There is also a use of perspective in this book as the narrator (the child) seems to be behind the father in most scenes. I think that this adds to the idea that the father is in charge of the adventure, and the child is eager to follow along. The illustrations run through the gutter in the book, as one illustration takes up the entirety of the open book. The illustrations also run from the top of the page to the bottom of the page in many occasions. The medium of these illustrations looks to be a mixture of pen (for the detailed lines) and gouache. I think that gouache is used because some of the illustrations are very dark. The style of the illustrations appears to be impressionism because of the real looking images, but the lines are blurred between some colors. I think it could be argued that realism is used because the illustrations, especially the owl, look very real.
I would use this book with children to read them a calming story and to show them the detailed illustrations. Personally, I really enjoy the detail in the illustrations, so I would love to show that to children, especially if I were teaching them how to do watercolors of any kind.
I think this book is appropriate for children in first grade or older simply because it does seem more sophisticated, and it does not have a capturing storyline. The length of reading on each page would require a child to have a longer attention span.
The artwork is very intricate and detailed. I believe it does not play a crucial role to understanding the entire story, but it does add to it, especially when the narrator says the snow was "whiter than the milk in a cereal bowl." In this scene, the illustrations add to the story by the abrupt whiteness of the snow. Also, when the father shines a light on the owl, the illustration seems to capture that moment very well, showing the reader the light shining on the owl. This is done by using shadows. There are many shadows throughout the entire book, which I believe add to the idea of "owling" being at night. The snow adds a brightness to each illustration. There is also a use of perspective in this book as the narrator (the child) seems to be behind the father in most scenes. I think that this adds to the idea that the father is in charge of the adventure, and the child is eager to follow along. The illustrations run through the gutter in the book, as one illustration takes up the entirety of the open book. The illustrations also run from the top of the page to the bottom of the page in many occasions. The medium of these illustrations looks to be a mixture of pen (for the detailed lines) and gouache. I think that gouache is used because some of the illustrations are very dark. The style of the illustrations appears to be impressionism because of the real looking images, but the lines are blurred between some colors. I think it could be argued that realism is used because the illustrations, especially the owl, look very real.
I would use this book with children to read them a calming story and to show them the detailed illustrations. Personally, I really enjoy the detail in the illustrations, so I would love to show that to children, especially if I were teaching them how to do watercolors of any kind.