LITTLE OWL AND THE STAR

In this simple and touching Christmas story, Little Owl meets a bright and shining star who invites the young owl to follow along in the sky. They meet the “traveling men,” the shepherds, and the angels, before Little Owl finds a sleeping baby in a stable. Little Owl’s gentle touch with his wing makes the baby smile, and that smile grows into smiles on the faces of all the other people and animals who crowd into the stable. The final spread shows the star in bright, glittery gold, symbolically filling the world with light, shown as splashes of brilliant color streaking across the dark sky. The first-person story is told in just a few poetic words, with the innocent young owl as narrator, and this device helps to effectively convey the wonder of the special event. The visually arresting art uses neon-bright shades against black backgrounds with pink hand-lettering for the text. The story is short and simple enough for toddlers and will make a wonderful introduction to the Christmas story for young listeners. (Picture book. 2-5)