Nothing in the meadow moved. All of a sudden an owl shadow, part of the
big tree shadow, lifted off and flew right over us. We watched silently
with heat in our mouths, the heat of all those words we had not spoken.
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen is the story of a young girl going owling with her father for the first time one wintry night. There is good reason why this 1987 children’s book remains popular, has won several awards including a Caldecott and has been translated into many languages. The story reads like poetry. Yolen’s language takes the simple activity of a walk through the woods at night and makes it magical. Officially, the book is for ages two through six. I say it’s for us big people too.
Portfolio