Owl Moon by Jane Yolen illustrated by John Schoenherr

If you go owling

you have to be quiet

and make your own heat.

When you go owling

you have to be brave.

When you go owling

you don't need words

or warm

or anything but hope.

That's what Pa says.

Image source : https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/302185/owl-moon-by-jane-yolen/9780399214578/

Owl Moon is a book to treasure and revisit often. It is the perfect book to read on a quiet winter night even if you live (as I do) in a place where it never snows. Owl Moon was first published in 1987 and was the winner of the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1988. Happy 30th Birthday Owl Moon!

Once again here is a book that perfectly demonstrates the ideal marriage of poetry or poetic language in a picture book.

Our feet crunched
over the crisp snow
and little grey footprints
followed us.
Pa made a long shadow
but mine was short and round.
I had to run after him
every now and then
to keep up,
and my short, round shadow
bumped after me.

Look at the word placement here. Our feet crunched. This is the perfect word for the sound of shoes on snow. I had to run every now and then - short legs and long strides - this gives the right rhythm to their walk. Her shadow bumped an echo of the shadow's round shape.

Here is another beautiful piece of poetic prose:

The moon was high above us.
It seemed to fit
exactly
over the centre of the clearing
and the snow below it
was whiter than the milk
in a cereal bowl.

I was amazed to discover you can read a Jane Yolen book every day of the year - yes she has 365 titles ranging from picture books, junior titles such as Sleeping Ugly, Middle Grade novels such as A Plague of Unicorns, adult books and non fiction.

If you have not seen this book try to find it in a library. Once you have read the printed book and looked at the beautiful illustrations take a look at this gentle video. Here are some teaching ideas.  Here is a magical song - listen to this after you read the book - I guarantee you will shiver.

The illustrations make you shiver from the cold and want to pull your scarf up over your mouth.  New York Times

In this extraordinary title, Jane Yolen captures the magical moment when two people come face to face with a wild creature, a beautiful owl in its natural habitat. She also explores, in simple words packed with imagery, the bond that connects the little girl and her father as they take a special journey under an Owl Moon. Looking Glass Review

Yolen hints at a philosophical overtone ("When you go owling you don't need words or warm or anything but hope. . .the kind of hope that flies on silent wings. . ."), but the shared experience of the mysterious, natural night-world seems the more important message of this lovely, quiet book. Kirkus