The Horn Book Guide

PRESCHOOL

Murphy, Mary , Murphy, Mary

Little Owl and the Star

32 pp. | Candlewick | October, 2003 | Trade ISBN 0-7636-2268-0 $$12.99

(2) PS On a "silent night," a little owl sits in his tree with a "waiting feeling." Then a sparkling star calls to him to follow. This revisioning of the Nativity story is both elegantly simple and quite complex, moving beyond plain narrative to an intimation of the religious experience. The illustrations reinforce the simplicity and spirituality of the text. The final spread's firework-like display of shiny gold feels less like indulgence and more like celebration.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2003