Owly Volume 2: Just A Little Blue

This novel is interesting. It had me really paying attention and figuring out what the little punctuation marks and few words mean. Being a person who is not used to reading graphic novels, I felt that it took a lot longer to read this novel than ones with words in a logical order. The story line was highly moral. Owly is very compassionate and keeps trying to help other birds. This could be a book that is good for kids who are not so interested in reading wordy novels. It would be a great stepping stone to regular novels. It helps readers to get used to the idea of a story line and also get used to reading books in general.

This is seriously such a darling book about friendship. Owly learns the value in making sacrifices in order to gain something valuable in return, such as friendship. The illustrations are so cute, and Owly has fantastic facial expressions that really help tell the story. A great book for children.

Runton, A. (2005). Owly: Just a little blue. Marietta, GA: Top Shelf Productions.

1891830643

125 pages

Appetizer: This time around Owly is having trouble with a family of bluebirds who don't want to be his friends. But once Owly and Wormy learn that the bluebirds' natural homes are being destroyed, they decide to help build the birds a new home.

Unlike the first book in the series, this volume only focuses on one story and it explores the experience of having a kind gesture being rejected.

This may seem like a dumb and obvious statement since all of the main characters are woodland creatures, but I love how environmentally oriented this series is. These creatures aren't just allegories for the emotions and experiences of new and young readers, they're the allegories for the emotions and experiences of young readers AND they share information about nature and environmentally kind options.

It's also worth noting that a student could easily pick up any of the Owly books and read. No knowledge of the previous books necessary (although potentially more enjoyable).

To Go with the Meal:

After sharing this book in the Owly series, students could raise funds to buy (or build) a class bird feeder or birdhouse for outside the school. Or a teacher could encourage students to work with a family member to build their own birdhouse for outside their house or apartment.

A teacher can also discuss the themes of team work, sacrifice and forgiveness. Since the story also shows characters working together to solve problems, a teacher can draw students' attention to the way the characters use the tools and animals around them to help find solutions.

Tasty Rating: !!! ( )

Owly and Wormy build a birdhouse for a bluebird family. The birds are hesitant to accept the gift, fearing it is a trap. ( )

www.bostonbibliophile.com/2008/08/graphic-novel-monday-owly-2-just-little.html ( )