Good Night Owl by G. Pizzoli
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20361/G2N029Abstract
Pizzoli, Greg. Good Night Owl. Scholastic Inc., 2016.
Good Night Owl, an illustrated picture book, is an easy read that will keep younger children looking for the mouse hiding in the pictures, and wondering what Owl will do next. The predictable pattern of Owl hearing a noise and then reacting to it continues throughout the story. These reactions quickly grow in severity, with Owl checking to see if it was the wind at the start, to tearing down the walls of the house with a sledge hammer at the end. When there are no more options for extreme reactions, Owl realizes that the noise wasn’t so bad after all and ends up going to sleep peacefully. The story begins with a calm and quiet tone, continues with progressive excitement, and finally ends with the same calmness of the beginning, lulling Owl to sleep. The cartoon-like illustrations enhance the story and text by giving the reader a visual representation of the emotions that Owl is experiencing. Children will easily be able to understand how Owl feels at each point of the story.
Owl’s reactionary behaviour could be a good springboard in discussion to show the importance of thinking before acting. Though the consequences for Owl’s reactions are not mentioned (only briefly shown in the pictures as his house is destroyed), my children easily saw how these actions were not necessary, thought of what could have been done instead, and together we laughed a lot along the way. This is a wonderfully fun and easy read that would be a welcome addition to an elementary classroom or library.
Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars
Reviewer: Lisa Seiler
Lisa Seiler is a grade 4 teacher with Edmonton Public Schools and mother of two girls, aged 6 and 10 years.
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