John Schoenherr (1935–2010)

A young girl and her father set out for the woods one snowy night, in this lovely, contemplative picture-book, the Caldecott Medal winner for 1988. Aware that she must be very quiet, the girl narrator struggles to keep up with her father, and - when they enter the darkness of the woods themselves - to be brave. Both are necessary, she informs the reader, when one is going owling, something she has been waiting a very long time to be allowed to do. Finally, in a moonlit clearing, with snow show more whiter than milk, the pair see what they have come for - a Great Horned Owl. After a moment (or one hundred) of magical connection, the owl flies on, and the tired pair head home...

Owl Moon is yet another of those classic picture-books that have long been "on my radar," but that I'd somehow never read, so I'm glad it was chosen as one of our "Winter Themed" selections, over in the Picture-Book Club to which I belong. I loved so many things about the book, from Jane Yolen's simple but evocative text, to John Schoenherr's beautiful watercolor artwork. The idea that sometimes the best and most magical experiences in life require effort and discipline, is worked seamlessly into the story, as is the notion that long awaited "treats" are especially delightful. The enchantment of the winter landscape is perfectly captured by both word and image here, and I particularly appreciated the fact that, even before they have seen the owl, the girl and her father are not alone, as a variety of woodland creatures observe their journey. The two-page spread in which the owl is depicted is simply breathtaking, allowing the reader to feel, with the two in the story, that sense of joyous culmination.

All in all, a delightful winter picture-book, one I highly recommend to all young nature and owl lovers, and to anyone who loves the cold enchantment of this season! show less

Owl Moon offers a reading experience that reflects the quiet story it’s telling and makes you want to read it aloud in a hushed voice. Yolen’s descriptions are tactile and atmospheric, and coupled with Schoenherr’s illustrations both show and tell you what the characters are seeing and feeling. I love that the story doesn’t have capture or conquest as a goal, but instead observation and appreciation of a fleeting experience with the natural world. C clearly feels the anticipation of show more the story and eagerly waits to come face to face with an owl. show less

Owl Moon was a great book on so many levels. It is a free verse poem that paints such vivid mental images of a young girl and her father who go owling on a dark night. The little girl has been waiting forever to be old enough to go. It is everything she expects and more.
One of the reasons that I like the book is the descriptive language. It is a great book for visualization. For example, “I could feel the cold, as if someone’s icy hand was palm-down on my back.” It made me shiver show more just thinking about it. The little girl talks about the how “the shadows were the darkest things she had ever seen” and that the “snow was as white as milk in a cereal bowl.” This type of language really helps the story come alive in my mind. I believe that if I had just listen to the book read out loud I could illustrate this story by just listening to different parts.
Another thing that goes hand in hand with the language is the illustrations. The illustrations match the words exactly. The dark shadows, the tall dark trees, and best of all, the incredible picture of the owl when they finally see him and make eye contact for several seconds. The combination of both is amazing.
Finally, reading the poem from the little girl’s point of view. You can feel the excitement and awe as soon as the story begins that really helps you to connect with the character. “I’ve been waiting to go owling with Pa for a long, long time.” As they go farther into the woods her father stops to call the owl and it does not respond but the little girl is not disappointed because her brothers told that sometimes there wasn’t an owl. Then she talks about how things were a little scary in the woods but that she had to be brave to go owling. Finally, at the end of the story when she could finally talk she did not, “I was a shadow as we walked home.” Reading it from her point of view really help you go through the experience with her, feel her feelings, and think about the same things she is thinking,
Owl Moon is a great heart felt story to that shows a relationship between father and daughter and the celebration of tradition. It also expresses the relationship between people and nature. show less

I really liked this book for many reasons. One reason I really enjoyed this book was because of the type of language that the author used. The authors language was very descriptive and he used things such as similes and metaphors. For example when the author was trying to explain the snow on the ground the book said, the snow didn't look like snow at all it rather looks like smooth milk. I liked that a lot because when I was reading it and looking at the pictures I was thinking about milk show more and the way that the snow was made me compare the two. This book made me really think, compare and connect. I loved the characters in the book because they were so realistic and easy to relate to. Since the book describes and child and their father going on a trip to find owls like the child's father and brothers do every year. When reading the book you can tell that the child has never been on this trip before because they always said "my brothers told me about this" and "I was so excited to go owling", Children who are reading this can easily relate to a time they went somewhere or did something special with their parent or a member in their family. Lastly I really enjoyed the pictures in the book . The illustrations were not very vibrant but the colors used went along with what was being written about for example when the author wrote about the dark forest, the illustrations used colors like black, or grey. The illustrations were also very detailed and fun to look at when reading. I would say that the big idea of this book would be that if you are patient, things will come to you over time. That is the message of the book because since the father and child waited and waited for the owl to come at the end it finally came. show less