Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

Illustrated by John Schoenherr
Philomel Books
New York
C1987
Picture Book

The beautiful watercolour cover of Owl Moon is graced with not one full moon, but two. The second perfect orb is the prestigious Caldecott Medal, awarded to one outstanding picture book a year. Immediately, upon opening the book to the first two-page spread, the decision to grant Owl Moon the award is understood. So rarely does one feel the desire (or possibility) of stepping into illustrations and text as in this portrayal of a daughter and her father seeking together the silence and shared wonder of owling.

Illustrative perspectives shift and slowly scoop, inspiring a quieting of breath. The eye is prompted to move across the page carefully, noticing small pretty details in unexpected corners, fully mimicking the exploratory nature of the tale. Jane Yolen’s prose lulls and awakens, switching between soft rhythm and evoked senses. Reading is deliberately delayed in order to fully feel the experience along with the young narrator: “I could feel the cold,/as if someone’s icy hand/was palm-down on my back.” A wonderful bedtime story. Ages 5 and up. *****