Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Manning and Granstrom (Snap!) team up again to offer another goodhearted, vividly populated comedy. A cute little owl has taken refuge in a hen house on a stormy night, and the ditzy hens don't know what to do with him. They need a rooster, but clearly he's not up to snuff: spoofing Olympics scoring, Manning notes, "The hens awarded him no points for pecking"; even after careful tutelage, he can't properly cock-a-doodle-do. But when an egg-eating rat is discovered in the henhouse, the exasperated Owl-who has known he's an owl all along-is finally able to prove his worth. "He caught the rat and gobbled it up... The hens were speechless!" By book's end, Owl is not only declared a hero, he's also a swaggering cock of the walk. Working in large-scale, generously rendered watercolors, Granstrom again proves her adeptness with visual narrative and comic momentum. Her Owl is a winning fish-out-of-water, and her wide-eyed, dim-witted hens are a hoot as well. Ages 3-7. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Can an owl find happiness in a henhouse? The answer is yes, at least in this farmyard. Desperately in need of a home, he takes refuge in a shed one stormy night and learns at daybreak that the hens who live there are in need of a rooster. He doesn't have the necessary qualifications, and, with one notable exception, no one considers him a candidate-until he uses a skill for which he is well recognized against an intruding rat. The bird's unique ability wins over his critics, and his future appears to be happily settled. Children will enjoy the humorous simplicity of the story and the colorful, cartoonlike illustrations. Those who are able to read it on their own will take additional pleasure from the speech bubbles. Owl's wide-eyed expressions and juxtaposition to the hens are sure to capture the attention of the intended audience. Libraries looking for a new read-aloud for a farm-themed storyhour will want to consider letting Owl roost on their shelves.-Maura Bresnahan, High Plain Elementary School, Andover, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An owl takes over a rooster's role (well, mostly) in this rather ingenuous barnyard episode. Flabbergasted to find an owl roosting among them after a stormy night, most of the henhouse's feathered residents want to drive the stranger away. Though one speckled hen takes him under her wing, teaching him to scratch and pick just like a rooster, he can't quite get the hang of cock-a-doodling--until he really proves his worth by gobbling down a marauding, egg-eating rat. After that ,he manages a crow (see title) that's good enough for his grateful new harem. Two high spots sandwich the big cartoon illustrations: an opening scene in which the small, weary owl gets an unconscious cuddle from the sleeping hens; and a final view of him strutting out in front of a line of hens and chicks, past an astounded farmer. Even younger children may be left wondering where the next generation of chicks will be coming from, but the speckled hen's compassion and the owl's willingness to work at finding ways to fit in without compromising his essential nature thematically anchor a warmly inclusive tale. (Picture book. 6-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
