OWL ALWAYS LOVE YOU

Owls roost in a tree, “hoppy” bunnies burrow under flower beds, and field mice nestle in poppy flowers, to name a few. At least one of the featured animals in each spread is a cutout pasted onto the page, and die-cut holes in each page allow these critters to literally nestle as pages are turned, adding some tactile interest for young children. One or two lines of pedantic, rhymed couplets are sprinkled throughout the full-bleed, double-page spreads. In the lovely art, the animals live in dreamy landscapes of rich orange, yellow, purple, and red against deep blue-black backgrounds, successfully balancing a hint of realism with an adorable coziness. On the final pages, a grown blue songbird is enticed back to the nest to meet three yellow, newly hatched chicks. An older sibling? A straying spouse? Readers probably won’t wonder that hard. While the book does not present a realistic nighttime scene, as many of these animals are nocturnal or crepuscular, parents and caregivers will appreciate the title’s soporific qualities.