Starred review from October 15, 2024
Patience and persistence pay off in Caldecott Medalist Cordell's ode to owling. Janie's long dreamed of seeing an owl. "Perfectly stout. Large, round eyes. Silent, knowing faces. Birds of the night." Janie's new teacher, Mr. Koji, is a birder, and Janie's inspired by his words: "To see an owl is magic." Accompanied by Mama, Janie searches the woods, an open prairie, the beach, a harbor, and even a cemetery. Yet even after months, not a single owl has presented itself. Undeterred, Janie gets a tip from Mr. Koji. When Janie finally goes to the location he suggested, Cordell presents readers with a truly resplendent moment. Incredible pen-and-ink illustrations treated with watercolors convey not simply Janie's passion (readers get glimpses of the young birder's drawings, notes, and map) but also subtler details, like Mama's uncertainty or one moment in which the two miss a hidden owl entirely. The understanding that there are no guarantees with nature lends a special poignancy to the pages. While the book has distinct ties to titles such as Jane Yolen'sOwl Moon (1987), illustrated by John Schoenherr, and Susan Edwards Richmond'sNight Owl Night (2023), illustrated by Maribel LeChuga, it also contains additional lessons on staying the course, which resonate loud and clear. Janie and Mama are brown-skinned; Mr. Koji presents East Asian. A title easily summed up in a single word: magic.(Picture book. 4-8)
COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Starred review from September 30, 2024
Young narrator Janie has long been fascinated by owls: “Perfectly stout. Large, round eyes. Silent, knowing faces. Birds of the night.” In drawings filled with carefully hatched detail, Caldecott Medalist Cordell draws Janie busy on the floor, making drawing after drawing of owls; other vignettes show the child dressed in an owl costume and reading about the topic. But Janie has never seen a real owl. Not once. This year, though, teacher Mr. Koji, “a birder even when he was my age,” is also interested in avian life. “To see an owl,” he tells the class, “is magic.” When Janie brings in “stacks and stacks of owl drawings,” an owl journal, and a map, Mr. Koji shares a tip: “I found a pair of great horned owls roosting in this section of pine trees. They are very well hidden and very hard to find.” Taut, suspense-heightening sentences combine with deliberate pacing as well as tender observations of earnest efforts and mentorship. Janie’s early failures set the stage for a gratifying conclusion in this introduction to the magic of respectfully spotting creatures “that do not want to be seen.” Human characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–8. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary.
January 1, 2025
This picture book's front matter offers an immediate hook: "When will I find you?" Narrator Janie, a young birder with a particular affinity for owls, is searching a wintry wooded area; careful viewers will notice that she has just passed an owl camouflaged in a nearby evergreen tree, underscoring the elusive nature of these creatures. Janie reads about owls; draws illustrations of them; keeps an owl journal; makes a map of the places she's looked; and eagerly seeks information from her teacher, a fellow birder. But she has never spotted one. Throughout the seasons, she and her mother silently walk the woods and visit the shore and even a cemetery, but no owls in sight. Cordell's tranquil landscapes, rendered in pen and ink and soft watercolors, reinforce the character's quiet determination as she continues her search. Her physical characteristics (particularly while bundled up in a puffer jacket, hat, and mittens, with binoculars) resemble those thrice ascribed to owls -- "Perfectly stout. Large, round eyes. Silent, knowing faces" -- giving a visual reinforcement to her connection to these "birds of the night." Both compelling and informational, the story of Janie's quest, like the experience of finally sighting a pair of owls, is "magic." Betty Carter
(Copyright 2025 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
Starred review from December 1, 2024
Grades K-3 *Starred Review* Janie longs to see an owl. She has devoured books on them, sketched pictures of them, and even dreamed about them, but she's never managed to spot one in the wild. She finds a kindred spirit in her new teacher, Mr. Koji, who feeds his students with tales and photos of his most memorable subjects, including his especially beloved owls. "To see an owl is magic," he attests, deepening Janie's resolve. She knows that it may be a difficult task, but Mr. Koji preps her as best he can with detailed suggestion of what to look and listen for, and her patient mother ferries Janie from beach to prairie to dark woods in an attempt to make Janie's dream come true. Months of unsuccessful excursions slip by, but one last suggestion from Mr. Koji has Janie heading out for another try. Could this be the fateful outing? The stunning story is a splendid celebration of the wonder of nature, but it also showcases different forms of dedication, whether it's Janie to her elusive owls or Mama to her determined daughter. There's both appreciation of the natural world and an acceptance of its secrets, and Cordell's appealing pen, ink, and watercolor artwork brings everything to life beautifully. A particularly pleasurable exploration of the magic that the world reveals to those who approach it with patience.
COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
January 1, 2025
This picture book's front matter offers an immediate hook: "When will I find you?" Narrator Janie, a young birder with a particular affinity for owls, is searching a wintry wooded area; careful viewers will notice that she has just passed an owl camouflaged in a nearby evergreen tree, underscoring the elusive nature of these creatures. Janie reads about owls; draws illustrations of them; keeps an owl journal; makes a map of the places she's looked; and eagerly seeks information from her teacher, a fellow birder. But she has never spotted one. Throughout the seasons, she and her mother silently walk the woods and visit the shore and even a cemetery, but no owls in sight. Cordell's tranquil landscapes, rendered in pen and ink and soft watercolors, reinforce the character's quiet determination as she continues her search. Her physical characteristics (particularly while bundled up in a puffer jacket, hat, and mittens, with binoculars) resemble those thrice ascribed to owls -- "Perfectly stout. Large, round eyes. Silent, knowing faces" -- giving a visual reinforcement to her connection to these "birds of the night." Both compelling and informational, the story of Janie's quest, like the experience of finally sighting a pair of owls, is "magic."
(Copyright 2025 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)