THE OWL WHO WAS AFRAID OF THE DARK

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Plop is a baby owl. Perfect in every way - except for one. He's afraid of the dark! But he soon discovers, through a variety of new friends, that dark can be fun and exciting and magical!

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Howard's glorious nocturnal illustrations give new life to the late British author's 1968 tale of an owlet frightened of the night. "The dark is scary," Plop tells Mommy Barn Owl, who wisely instructs him to learn a bit more about it before passing judgment. Soon, Plop is off seeking new acquaintances, both human and animal, who tell him their favorite things about the evening, from fireworks and campfire singalongs to viewing the constellations ("The dark is wondrous. Look through the telescope," says one gentleman he meets). Tomlinson's reassuring tale is aimed squarely at preschoolers, who will thrill to a familiar scenario played out in an unusual setting. Howard's expertly shaded pastels evoke the owls' feather-softness against full-bleed illustrations in glowing, naturalistic colors, which he augments with smaller sepia vignettes. One particularly memorable scene features a close-up of Plop flanked by his parents, the three of them staring out at readers with the sparkle of a fireworks display reflected in their large eyes. As for the round, plump and utterly fetching Plop himself, he's an irresistible ball of fluff who may well convert a host of readers to nighttime's appeal. Ages 3-up. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

School Library Journal Review

K-Gr 2-Plop the baby barn owl needs to overcome his fear of the night, because that's when he and his parents must go hunting. His understanding mother suggests that he ask various other creatures why they like the dark. A boy calls it exciting because he can see fireworks, an old lady finds it kind as she remembers past pleasures, a Boy Scout says it's fun because friends can sing around the campfire and drink cocoa, a girl maintains that it is necessary so that Santa can come, an astronomer terms it wondrous because he can see the constellations, and a cat simply points out the beauty of the sleeping town. Now convinced that the dark is just right, Plop becomes a night owl. This newly illustrated version of a British classic has winning full-page and page-and-a-half pastel pictures in midnight blues and soft daytime shades that show a sweetly fluffy owlet, his wide-eyed parents, and his new friends.-Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Horn Book Review

Plop, an unfortunately named barn owlet, goes looking for evidence that the dark might not be as scary as he thinks. A variety of people tell him about the good things the night brings: fireworks, campfires, stargazing, and Santa. After an excursion with a night-loving cat, Plop suddenly accepts his lot as a nocturnal bird. The familiar and overly sentimental story is accompanied by soft-focus pastel illustrations. From HORN BOOK Spring 2002, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

New color illustrations introduce an English classic about a small barn owl-unfortunately and inexplicably named "Plop"-who learns to love the dark. At his mother's suggestion, Plop, who thinks the dark is scary, asks various people about it. Each (among them a boy, a scout, and an astronomer) gives him a personal reason for appreciating the night. At last, a black cat leads him away from his sleeping parents to the rooftops where, looking over the sleeping town, Plop realizes that the night really is beautiful, and that he really is a night bird. The full-page pastel illustrations are full of rich night hues of deep blue skies, light, and shadow, and smaller sketches on alternate pages show the little owl with his new acquaintances. Plop, though a fledged bird, appears smaller and softer than his owl parents and is a thoroughly endearing creature in these pictures, and the art carries the story over several weak spots. In one of Plop's less convincing encounters, a grandmotherly woman tells him that she likes the dark because it is kind, and she can forget that she is old-an idea more sentimental than true. In another-less universal than the fear of the dark that the tale addresses-a girl tells him that the dark is necessary so that Santa can come and fill the stockings for Christmas Day. But the fireworks that the boy invites Plop to watch are reflected in the big dark eyes of the young barn owl and his parents-a nicely dramatic depiction of the awe that night can hold. Parents and children are likely to overlook some pedestrian moments in the story for the overall reassurance it may bring. (Picture book. 4-7)