Week Three: Caldecott winners 1938-1989: Owl Moon

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, illustrated by John Schoenherr
(cover image from Amazon.com)

Bibliography: Yolen, J. (1987). Owl moon. New York: Philomel. ISBN: 978-0399214578

SUMMARY
One winter night, a girl and her father walk in search of owls. They enjoy companionable silence, the father's lessons on owling, and an appreciation for the creatures and natural world around them. A sweet, gentle story of quiet, parent/child bonding.

MY IMPRESSIONS
I would have loved this story if I'd read it as a kid. I was a tomboy, endlessly searching for ways to spend time with my father. Owl Moon captures the sweet, awkward, loving connections between a father and a daughter during an owling expedition in the snowy outdoors. Schoenherr's gorgeous watercolors provide wonderful visual imagery for the simple text and the two interweave perfectly. The icy blues, dark grays and stark browns set the mood for the silent, chilly air of a winter's night. The illustrations are both deceptively simple and rich in detail. Schoenherr expertly uses the white space of the page as the background of snow, with minimal shadows in blue gray. Another fun component is the number of animals tucked into tree trunks or between snow banks that children can find when reading the story.
Yolen's text heightens the sensation of the winter and quiet. The sound of a train whistle and dog's howl, low like an owl's hoot, echoes in the darkness. The crunch of their boots replaces the monologue in the girl's head as she remembers her father's instructions when owling--be quiet, brave and hopeful. I enjoyed Yolen's evocative descriptions: the chill in the air was like "someone's icy hand was palm-down on my back" or how the snow was "whiter than the milk in a cereal bowl." My favorite moment in the book was when the father called back to the owl. Both the girl and her dad were poised in a frozen moment of action--craning their necks to locate the owl, their hands tensed by their faces, alert and expectant. Then the next page showed the incredible moment of staring down an owl and losing track of time, before it flies away. The closing illustration of the girl in the arms of her father as they returned home was also heart-warming. Owl Moon is a fabulous picture book and a well-deserved winner of the Caldecott Medal.

ACTIVITIES
Like all of the picture books I've mentioned so far, Owl Moon is a great story time selection for kids aged four to eight.

Tie in the book with other nonfiction selections on any number of related topics--drawing/identifying different kinds of owls and animals, learning about species of trees and how they change throughout the seasons, or favorite winter activities. Play sounds of different birds and animals and have the children identify them. Build language skills by asking for adjectives to describe the smells, sounds and sensory experience of walking in the woods in the winter.

Owl Moon would be especially good if it could be combined with a winter field trip to a nature preserve or with a guest lecturer from a state park.

REVIEWS
"In this extraordinary title, Jane Yolen captures the magical moment when two people come face to face with a wild creature, a beautiful owl in its natural habitat. She also explores, in simple words packed with imagery, the bond that connects the little girl and her father as they take a special journey under an Owl Moon. The illustrations in this special book beautifully compliment the text; rich with shadow and moonlight the illustrator shows the characters from many points of view and gives us cameo glimpses of other woodland creatures."
Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Review

"Among the greatest charms of children is their ability to view a simple activity as a magical adventure, such as a walk in the woods late at night. Jane Yolen captures this wonderment in a book whose charm rises from its simplicity. "It was late one winter night, long past my bedtime, when Pa and I went owling." The two walked through the woods with nothing but hope and each other in a journey that will fascinate many a child. John Schoenherr's illustrations help bring richness to the countryside adventure."
Goodreads.com

"Her reverence for the experience is tangible. Owl Moon is told in the girl's own voice, a strikingly mature inner dialogue documenting every aspect of this daddy-daughter outing as it happens. She wants to do this right. Sometimes she has to run to keep up with her dad. The experience is very solitary, despite his company, because there's no talking and no contact. Just the struggle to keep up and the thoughts inside. And then there's that knowledge that sometimes an owling expedition comes to nothing. You hear nothing. You see nothing. As a reader, your heart goes out to her. You imagine her fear that a failed outing will somehow reflect on her. On her age. On her gender. John Schoenherr's illlustrations complement Yolen's text perfectly. It's incredibly touching. I don't know that I've ever come across a better father daughter book. Yolen and Schoenherr team up in this classic to capture perfectly a momentous little expedition and everything it means to a young child. This is a great book for any kid, but if you have a youngest daughter, Owl Moon is nothing less than essential. Mom? Make sure you let Dad read this book to your daughter. And Dad? Go take your daughter on a similarly meaningful outing."
Steve from www.best-childrens-books.com