Module
3: Caldecott Winners- 1938-1989
Book Chosen: Owl
Moon
Book Author: Jane Yolen
Illustrator: Jon Schoenherr
Plot
Owl
Moon is 1987’s Caldecott winner by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Jon
Schoenherr. The story tells of a father and his daughter’s subtle and quiet
adventure into the moonlit night looking for the great horned owl. Their owling
leads them deep into the woods with father
“who-o-o-ooo-ing” quite a few times before the
horned owl appears to answer his call. They then turn around and head home,
with the daughter’s first time owling a success.
Impressions of the book
I
loved this book. I loved how the impact of the book was quiet and subtle, just
like winter; it arrives and kisses the cheeks and then overtakes all the
senses- all at once and altogether. I loved that the story was about a father
and a daughter and that their adventure was non-gendered and actually quite
unique…especially for somebody who lives in the south.
The
illustrations are quiet and subtle, like the story, and have cool and warm
colors mixing to create a pallet that is winter to the eyes. The whites and
blues surround the atmosphere with the sky being blue the moon is yellow-white
while those that are warm are swathed in orange and brown such as the father
and the daughter. Also, the trees are brown/black because they too are living
and warm in winter, very much like the father and daughter- alive around what
seems to be dead or dying. The illustrations in this book are the other half of
the story. When reading Owl Moon,
make sure to pay attention to the pictures just as much as to the words for
they go hand in hand in creating the story. Adding to the mystique is the
elusive bird of prey that they are trying to summon; the great horned owl adds
mystery to the story and magnifies the
majestic feeling
of the trek and adventure. When the owl does show up, the climax arrives and
leaves just as quickly. While we were wrapped up in this hunt, we don’t realize
that the end arrives just as the owl does so, when the father and daughter head
home, so do we. The reader feels this melancholy that was present that whole
time but we only face it at the end, when there is nothing more but winter and
the moon above us. This metaphor within the story is very much like life and
winter; childhood is fleeting and so this is the snow so let’s go on an
adventure!
Library Usage
The great horned owl is a type of
bird that most children are not familiar with, not to mention
owling. After reading this story, kids should then be led to discuss about
owls, particularly the great horned owl, and find out where they live, what
their habits are, and what they look like in real life. Then, kids can find
out about owling and create their own illustrated story with Owl Moon in mind and see which kids
remember how the minuscule details such as outfits. Retelling a story is a
great memory exercise as well as great practice for actual story telling or
writing.
Reviews
“Owl
Moon is as expansive as the broad sweep of the great owl’s wings and as close
and comforting as a small hand held on a wintry night. The poetic narrative is
told from the point of view of the child who ‘had been waiting to go owling
with Pa for a long, long time.’ The father and child venture on a cold winter
night not to capture but to commune with the great horned owl. The
illustrations perfectly match the mood and sensitivity of the verbal imagery.
The human characters are most often pictured small against sweeping lines which
convey distance and the vastness of the natural world that they share with the
other creatures. The visual images have a sense of depth and seem to invite
readers into this special nighttime world. Although the words are the child’s,
the view is that of the owl looking down on the human scene or of some
omnipresent being looking down on both. The play of shadows, the contrast
between light and dark, and the way in which the woods make an irregular frame
around the words all contribute to the total unity os the book. This is a
loving book that readers, male or female, young or old, will want to make a
part of their live.” –Kay E. Vandegrift, School of Communication,
Information and Library Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.
APA Citations
Vandergrift, K. E. (1987). Owl Moon
(Book Review). School Library Journal, 34(4), 78.
Yolen, J., Schoenherr, J., Stevenson,
N., Philomel Books., & South China Printing Co. (1987). Owl moon.
New York: Philomel Books.
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