Owl+Moon



Emily Smeriglio

From**:** [] __**Author Biography: **__ Jane Yolen was born and raised in New York City and now lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. She is the author of 170 books and is a person with many talents. Aside from writing, Jane Yolen also composes songs, is a professional storyteller, and is the wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother.
 * __Biographical data: __**
 * **Reading level: ** Ages 3 and up
 * **Hardcover: ** 32 pages
 * **Publisher: ** Philomel (October 23, 1987)
 * **Language: ** English
 * **ISBN-10: ** 0399214577

__**Summary: **__ __Owl Moon __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;"> is a story of a father daughter trip to go “owling.” This story describes the adventure that was endured by the father and daughter. The story discusses how one must be very quiet when owling, and how this young girl had been waiting for “a long, long time” to go owling with her Pa. On the first couple of tries of calling an owl, this father daughter pair is unsuccessful. At this point in the story, the young girl explains that her brothers have told her that sometimes you see an owl and sometimes you do not. Therefore, she is not disappointed. The father and daughter continue walking in the woods. When the pair came to a clearing, Pa tried to call owls again. This time, there was an echo. The owl then flew over the father and daughter. Pa was able to shine a flashlight on the owl as it landed on a branch. After seeing the owl, the father and daughter began their journey back home.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">I feel that this story is about hope. On the last page, it is stated “When you go owling you don’t need words or warm or anything but hope. That’s what Pa says. The kind of hope that flies on silent wings under a shining Owl Moon.” It is not until the end of the book that I was able to tie the symbolism of the owl to hope. I feel that this book’s theme of hope is important for young children. I would recommend that students read this book in order to better understand that sometimes things go the way we wish, and sometimes they do not. However, you always need to be hopeful that things will happen as you want them to. Just as the young girl explained that although she did not see an owl the first time she was not disappointed because her brothers had explained to her prior that sometimes you see an owl, and sometimes you do not.
 * __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Review: __**

__**<span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Analysis of literary element (illustrations): **__ <span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">This is a Caldecott award winning book. It won the 1988 Caldecott award. The pictures illustrated by John Schoenherr are amazing. The illustrations perfectly compliment the text. I feel that this would help a younger reader to be able to understand and read the story. The illustrations are focused on shadows and the moonlight, show the characters from different points of view, and depict owls beautifully. Not only do the pictures of this story depict the longing of the father daughter pair to see an owl, but they also depict a longing of the daughter to grow to be like her father- mimicking him and following him in almost every illustration. The details of every drawing are exquisite, and capture every part of each character, including the owl and tell a story of their own.