Little Owl Lost

By sticking to simple shapes and a bold palette, Haughton has created a debut that reads like a tattered old favorite. A single half-page shows Little Owl dozing off in his nest, then—once its turned—bouncing softly to the forest floor. The animals who find Little Owl are flat, stylized creatures in jewel colors, but their eyes convey a wealth of feeling. Squirrel peers at Little Owl, his paws clasped in concern, his neck stretched out quizzically. My mommy is VERY BIG, says Little Owl. Yes! Yes! I know! I know! says Squirrel. Follow me.... Here she is. Heres your mommy. Squirrel points to an enormous teal bear, staring befuddled at readers. A few more cases of mistaken identity ensue before locating Little Owls mother (careful readers will have noticed her seeking out her progeny). With instinctive skill, Haughton uses spreads of the forest to establish atmosphere and set up jokes, then delivers punch lines with spot illustrations that zero in on the animals dopey but lovable expressions. A promising first outing. Ages 2up. (Aug.)

Copyright 2010 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

PreS--Haughton's simple story line, retro colors, and folksy artwork bring a fresh view to an often-used plot. Little Owl falls from the nest while sleeping. He meets a squirrel who promises to help him find his mother, but Squirrel uses each descriptor ("Big Eyes," "Pointy Ears") to find the wrong animal. Finally, they meet Frog, who says: "I know your mommy....Your mommy's looking everywhere for you." Owl and owlet are reunited, and the new friends are invited up for cookies. The spare, repetitive text is just right for a preschool audience, and will quickly have young listeners chiming in with "That's not my mommy." Haughton's pitch-perfect use of language flows smoothly to the satisfying end. The pencil and digitally rendered illustrations, which have the feel of a mix of woodblock and cut-paper collage, are done in intense, saturated colors of olive, red, orange, fuchsia, blue, and yellow. Little Owl is black with blue and purple accents and bright eyes, and stands out boldly on both the color-saturated pages and the stark white ones. The art does a wonderful job of conveying movement and encouraging page turns. This little gem will work equally well in storytimes or one-on-one.--Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT