Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A self-possessed owl named Eva Wingdale has personality to spare in this diary-style first book in a series that joins the Branches line of early chapter books. With her love of "making stuff" and her sky-high ambitions, Eva has the makings of a lifestyle mogul (and with her jaunty beret, sneakers, and body assembled of brightly patterned shapes, she looks the part, too). But for now, Eva's concerns are more immediate: spearheading the first-ever Treetop Elementary Bloomtastic Festival, which she conceived of herself. Asking for help isn't Eva's forte, but eventually she learns the importance of delegation-a key lesson for any future CEO. Appealing visuals (the text and art are set against the lined pages of Eva's diary), punny dialogue, a few pratfalls, and Eva's unflagging enthusiasm make for lively reading. Ages 5-7. Agency: Bright Agency. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-Eva Wingdale enjoys drawing, going to school, and being busy. She dislikes her brother Humphrey's stinky socks, boredom, and her mom's slug sandwiches. On the first day of spring, the owlet offers to organize the first ever Treetop Owlementary Bloomtastic Festival, featuring a bake-off and talent, fashion, and art shows. With the event only seven days away, Eva's not sure she can get everything done in time. Instead of canceling, though, she enlists help from her classmates and manages to pull off a successful festival. Written in diary format with speech bubbles, the 10 chapters have lively, brightly colored illustrations, often several per page. This early chapter book is a nice step between first readers and series such as Barbara Parks's "Junie B. Jones" and Mary Pope Osborne's "Magic Tree House" (both Random).-Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga Public Library System, OH (c) Copyright 2014. 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 Horn Book Review
Eva Wingdale is a crafty, beret-wearing young owl who takes on more than she can handle when planning "the first-ever Treetop Owlementary's Bloomtastic Festival," and then tries to prove to her classmates that she saw a ghost. Each journal-style book is filled with colorful patterns and drawings that match Eva's punchy personality and aid in comprehension. Discussion questions are included. [Review covers the following Owl Diary titles: Eva Sees a Ghost and Eva's Treetop Festival.] (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Eva the owl chronicles 11 days in her life in the first in the Owl Diaries series for emerging readers. Eva has received a new diary and uses it to record the details of her life, along with sunny drawings and photographs that make her diary more like a scrapbook. In between daily entries, she comes up with the idea of having a big festival at her school. Her teacher, Mrs. Featherbottom, thinks it's a great idea but warns Eva to share the work with her classmateswhich readers might already have inferred will be a challenge. When her rival, Sue Clawson, offers help, Eva stubbornly takes on most of the responsibilities herself. Bright and colorful digital illustrations, large type, frequent speech bubbles and a familiar story make this accessible to emerging readers. The 11 chapters and substantial number of pages will help these readers feel accomplished. Some of the wordplay ("owlementary," "Winglish") and invented owlspeak ("flaperrific," "flap-tastic") might trip up the intended audience, but they also make the story memorable. It's hard not to think that if Eva spent more time getting ready for the festival and less time writing in her diary, she might not end up in the weedsbut then there would be no story, of course. New readers need lots of choices, and this series promises to fill a niche for them. Keep flapping, Eva! (Fantasy. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
