4 out of 4 stars
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Why Can't the Owl Sleep? By author/illustrator Cynthia Baker is an awesome children's book that focuses on nature. The natural world is fascinating and often kids don’t know just how incredible the world around them is. Reading books such as this will enhance our children's awareness for the environment and all that live in it.
This story is poetically written with steady rhythm and rhyme, and illustrated beautifully. While telling the story of the owl, the book also introduces the various birds and animals that live in the forest.
This is a story about a great horned owl that has hunted all night long. Toward morning he is looking forward to a well-deserved sleep. However, when he tries to get some sleep, his sleep gets interrupted over and over by the noises animals are making in the wood; Birds call, Chickadee loudly sings, a great blue heron squawks, and a chipmunk chatters and squeaks, you get the idea. Will our poor owl manage to get his rest?
The book tells not only the story of the owl, but of other animals as well. The book is divided into brief poems. Each poem introduces a different animal and the poems are narrated from the first point of view of the animal. The animals tell about themselves and their habits. We learn that the owl is a bird of prey, the Chickadee's food is caterpillars, bugs and seeds, skunk stinks when threatened, Blue Jay loves acorns, the porcupine is a vegetarian, the deer is afraid of the fox, and the beaver is a powerful swimmer. This is a great way to teach kids about nature, animals and the food chain.
The book is balanced, entertaining, and chock full of fascinating facts for kids. I found the illustrations to be particularly wonderful, though they were black and white on my kindle. For the illustrations alone, I think this is a great book. Add to this an entraining storyline, and you have a winning combination!
The book has a natural, flowing style and the vocabulary is rich. The plot is relatively simple and suited for younger readers ages 3-7. It is perfect for a children's bedtime story. The language used is appropriate for young readers or for a preschooler read-aloud. Kids will enjoy the story and will learn that animals have feelings as well. It was a sweet and fun read, so I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. It's one of those books where the adult and the child are equally engaged.
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Why Can't the Owl Sleep?
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