Wow! Said the Owl »

TIM HOPGOOD lives in York, England. This is his first book published in the United States.

Here’s the story of a curious little owl determined to see what the world looks like during the day. And what does she discover? A wow-worthy symphony of colors—from red butterflies to orange flowers, from white clouds to green leaves.

This boisterous and bright book is the perfect read-aloud to savor with curious little owls everywhere who are exploring the world of colors for the first time.

Children's Literature

Hopgood uses this story about a curious little owl who decides to stay awake during the day as a frame for introducing the delight of colors. Accustomed to the dark colors of the night, the owl's "Wow!" is her reaction to her first view of the warm pink of the sky at dawn, the yellow of the sum shining through the morning mist, the white clouds, blue sky, green leaves, red butterflies, and orange flowers. Gray clouds move in with rain, but the sun shines through, making a rainbow fill the sky. As the sun sets and the moon rises, the owl finds the stars at night "the most beautiful of all." So she stays up all night as well. The minimal text is almost redundant as each color in sequence dominates the double-page scenes. Hopgood's use of cut papers helps us focus on the qualities of each of the nine colors he displays, including a final color wheel that adds white, gray, pink, and indigo. The "Wow!"s may get a bit too repetitive, but the decorative designs of the colors spark attention. Color lessons can be carried from here into individual art work. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz