Review by Horn Book Review
In this tender wordless tale, two nocturnal animal families look for a few extra winks before moonrise--and inadvertently find new friends. A single branch in a treetop bustling with animal life serves as a perch for a quartet of peacefully sleeping owls, in addition to horizontally dividing the page in half. An adult owl and three youngsters (big, medium, and small) are soon joined by a complementary family of bats; they fasten themselves to the underside of the aforementioned branch. Skepticism about the new neighbors results in a reshuffling by the fearful adults--owls on one end, bats on the other; however, the littlest members of each brood quickly realize there is nothing to fear. Small owl is soon found happily convening upside-down with small bat, only to receive a scolding by its angry-eyed parent (same with the bats). Back to sleep, and all appears calm--until both families are scattered by a swirling gust of wind. Rescuing all the youngsters requires cooperation between the adults of both species and results in a newfound mutual acceptance. Outlined in thick black lines, the digitally created illustrations use an appropriately gentle palette with a soft texture reminiscent of oil pastels. Successful characterization is achieved through subtle shifts in body language and the owls large, expressive eyes. Readers will want to regularly flip the book upside-down for the bat familys perspective. patrick gall (c) Copyright 2017. 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.
