The Owl Who Dared

Stephanie Stansbie’s The Owl Who Dared (9781664300330, $18.99) is illustrated by Frances Ives, who provides lovely illustrations to accompany the story of a little owl who is afraid to fly and fail. An understanding mother advises that it will take a few failures before he succeeds, but the little owl just can’t seem to control his wings. A learning curve accompanied by observations of other animals helps him understand his limitations, successes, and how to confront major life obstacles.–Midwest Book Review–Children’s Bookwatch


STARRED. Here a baby snowy white owl who keeps plunging to the ground during his first anxiety-ridden flying lessons offers a comically compelling object lesson in perseverance. When the mother owl wakes her little one at dusk for his first flying lesson, the little owl resists, saying he’s scared and has stomach pains. In a hilarious four-panel double-page spread, the little owl inches across a branch, spreads his wings, closes his eyes, and then takes a pratfall. This book departs from the usual “You can do it!” mantra. Instead, the mother here keeps urging the little owl to fail if he wants to succeed. For example, the mother says, “If you dare to fall, and fall and fall again, then one day, you will succeed.” In a stunning visual sequence, Mom gives the little owl a bird’s-eye view of the forest, pointing out animals failing and then succeeding, like the newborn deer they see struggling to its feet. The gorgeously luminous illustrations, done in multimedia including watercolors, ink, and pencil and filled with realistic details, should keep readers involved. Finally, in another four-panel spread, the little owl again inches along the branch—but this time, the owl keeps his eyes open, flaps his wings enthusiastically, and flies. An unusual, heartening take on facing challenges. –Booklist, Starred Review