Little Owl's Snow

November 1, 2018
The whimsical little owl with the huge eyes is back (Little Owl's Day, 2014, etc.), exploring the joys of a new and unfamiliar season.Feeling a chill in the air, he thinks, "Something is happening!" The leaves are changing color and beginning to fall, geese are flying away, and many animals are preparing to hibernate. "Bear sleeps through all the fun," Raccoon explains. As he flits through the silent forest, Little Owl sees the magic of winter. Snow begins to fall, and the forest is transformed into a crystalline fairyland. Tracks appear in the snow, fish swim under the frozen pond. Little Owl starts to miss his hibernating friends, especially Bear and Hedgehog, but Mama encourages him to enjoy the snow, "a special secret not everyone can know." Little Owl finds he can still have fun playing in the snow with everyone who is awake through the winter. Srinivasan's stylized illustrations are colorful tapestries on black backgrounds depicting a realistic variety of fall and winter foliage and animal life. The forest floor is rich with mushrooms, nuts, leaves, and berries. Bear's paws and mouth are stained with the blueberries he is gorging in preparation for his long sleep.A gentle encouragement to explore and get the best out of unfamiliar situations. (Picture book. 2-6)

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

December 1, 2018
Preschool-K The same senses of wonder and discovery that charge Little Owl's Night? (2011) and Little Owl's Day? (2014) animate this tale of autumnal bustle and wintry delight. Something is happening! Little Owl realizes as leaves change, temperatures drop, geese fly off, and wild friends prepare for winter naps?�except for Raccoon, that is, who whispers, Bear sleeps through all the fun. You'll see. And fun there is, when snow falls to blanket the forest, and Little Owl?all big eyes in the simply composed illustrations?sees red berries on leafless branches, fish swimming in the pond beneath a layer of ice, and other seasonal marvels. After some time, Little Owl misses his friends and longs for spring. Snow is like a special secret not everyone can know, his mother says. Are you ready for it to melt away so soon? Indeed, a glimpse of a dripping icicle hints that the new season will come in due time . . . but for now, snowy pleasures beckon. Seize the day, owlets!(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)