Owl Moon (urspr publ 1987; utgåvan 1987)

Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature)
A gentle, poetic story that lovingly depicts the special companionship of a young child and her father as they take a nighttime stroll to look for owls. Complemented by award winning soft exquisite watercolor illustrations. Perfect for reading aloud and sharing at bedtime. 1988 Caldecott Medal, Notable Children's Book, Reading Rainbow selection. 1987, Philomel, $15.95. Ages 3 to 7.

Kenneth Marantz (The Five Owls, March/April 1988 (Vol. 2, No. 4))
The author of Owl Moon is one of the rarer breed of writers who take seriously the demanding task of creating texts for picture books without pandering. Although the story of going into a snow-blanketed forest with a full moon illuminating the darkness in search of an owl is told by a sixish-year-old girl, much of the syntax and vocabulary is adult. It's as if a woman were telling us (using the present tense) of a fondly remembered high point of her childhood. The parent-child bonding shines clearly between the lines as the pair trudge silently, attending to the woodsy stillness and listening for the "whoooo" that signals success. Simple but convincing, the warmth of the experience is kindled by the sensitively chosen words. Schoenherr's transparent watercolors take advantage of the white paper by evoking images of moonlight-splashed fields and luminescent patches of night sky. Father and daughter are honestly painted figures animated by strategically drawn black lines. Barest backgrounds are like stage flats, suggestions of pine trees. The text is set in short-lined vertical blocks in white spaces left barren for the purpose on the double-page spreads. Overall, the visual setting is competent, although the use of a heavily glazed paper destroys much of the subtlety of the watercolor medium. But the realism of the paintings fails to take proper advantage of the emotional content of the words. 1987, Philomel, $13.95. Ages 4 to 8.