Owl Babies

This week I read ‘Owl Babies’ written by Martin Waddell and illustrated by Patrick Benson. I believe this book is another excellent example of how text and images can come together to produce meaning. The story focusses on three baby owls; Sarah, Percy and Bill, who live with their Owl Mother in the trunk of a tree. When the baby owls wake up one night and find that their Owl Mother is gone, they are frightened and worried. They spend a lot of time thinking about the situation and eventually, together, they are able to deal with their fears – bravely waiting on a branch for their mother to return.  When their mother returns, the babies greet her with much enthusiasm (and relief!). In response to this, the mother owl reassures her children that there was nothing to worry about, saying; “You knew I’d come back.”

Through this simple narrative, Waddell tells a touching story about sibling relationships, bravery and the dependability of family. The book is well suited to a very young age group (pre-school and lower primary), as it discusses an ordinary everyday situation which young children can relate to (being temporarily separated from a parent). What’s more, the text also carries a message which could be very helpful to children who tend to suffer separation anxiety – the fears of the child are acknowledged (Sarah, Percy and Bill get scared too), however it is emphasised that there is no need to be afraid (the Owl Mother was always going to return).

For this reason, I think the text could be especially useful in reception classrooms (particularly if there are some children who find ‘drop-off’ time to be traumatic). While I believe that generally the best way to overcome separation anxiety is to distract the child and take the focus away from the separation – I think this text deals with the topic in a very gentle/subtle way and it might help students to deal with personal anxieties in their own way.

Aside from the book’s underlying messages, it is simply a nice story which is accompanied by beautiful illustrations. The owl babies are depicted in a realistic style, and are surrounded by shadowy details (such as twigs and branches) which seem to fade into blackness around the edges of each page. This emphasises how alone the babies feel without their mother and gives the impression that they are surrounded by darkness. Cool colours are used to show shadowy fern fronds, tree trunks and leaves – further adding to the night time atmosphere. Another aspect of the illustration that adds a great deal to the text, is the way that Benson has captured expression in the faces of the owl babies;  obviously displaying their concern, uncertainty and finally- relief.

I think this book is suited to junior primary classrooms, and particularly suited to family reading at home. The story is one which children and parents can relate to, and I think it would have the most impact when read as a family (or with family members).