Whooo's there?

PreS-Gr 2-Owl flies through the dark wood and crossly inquires, "Whooo's there?" as he detects various forest animals that are out and about until dawn. The story is told in pleasing verse made up of quatrains. "Quiet crept into/the dark forest deep./Wrapped in the hush,/everyone seemed asleep." Then framed between two quatrains, the owl makes his repeated inquiry, "Whooo's there?" For example, "`Whooo!' said Old Owl./`Who has turned on the light?'/Fireflies glowed, a bright show/in the night." The one exception is the skunk, to whom Owl says, "Whewwww!" Illustrations have thick lines of color that accentuate outlines, and the animals feature mostly friendly cartoonlike visages that are quite appealing. The portrayal of trees, distinct blades of grass, and the coyote howling at the moon against full-color backgrounds convey the magic of nighttime very well. The magic of nighttime may be too scary for toddlers, though, because some of the animals have glaring yellow eyes that look quite dramatic. This book will work well with a small group at storytime and perfectly when shared one-on-one.-Kirsten Cutler, Sonoma County Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Standing guard over the forest, stern Old Owl serenades a progression of animals--among them, a hungry raccoon, a hopping frog and a smelly skunk--with the song, "Whooo's there?" Rendered in rich nocturnal hues with thick flowing lines and geometric forms, the animated, double-page spreads complement quatrains that are replete with alliteration and animal sound effects. Variety in both the pleasing rhymes and artwork--including intermittent visits from the moon and a cat-rat chase--will keep the pages turning. While the small format may disqualify it from group storytimes, this tranquil and engaging bedtime sojourn is just right for one-on-one sharing. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.