Owl Howls Again!

PreS-Gr 2—Poor Little Owl howls again in her second picture book. Her mother leaves her alone in their hollowed-out tree den and tells her not to let anyone in while she is gone. Little Owl promises, and after Mommy Owl leaves, closing the door behind her, the owlet begins to read "The Three Little Pigs." When there is a knock at the door, she thinks it may be a big, bad wolf. Her mother tries to explain that it is she at the door, but Little Owl will not let her in, so Mommy Owl enlists the help of a return cast of forest friends to convince her daughter to open the door. Each knock just makes Little Owl howl more, until Crow has an idea involving secrets that only the mother would know about her child. Friester's second Little Owl story doesn't quite have the same humor as Owl Howl (NorthSouth, 2011), and the ending falls a bit flat. Still, children will sympathize with the lovable, chubby, and googly-eyed owl characters. Goossens's painted-canvas illustrations are earthy with punches of vibrant yellow and orange.—Mindy Whipple, West Jordan Library, UT