In the Still of the Night? Night Owl by Toni Yuly

NIGHT OWL LIKES TO STAY UP LATE.

HE HOOTS HELLO TO THE MOON.

Little Night Owl is out to prove his owl-hood as he flies fast from his hole in the tree to a branch by himself. He's a proper owl now, and he rules the night, right?

But there are a lot of sort-of spooky noises in the forest as the sun begins to set. Mommy must be near. But what's that loud hammering?

It's too fast for Mommy. It's just a woodpecker's rat-a-tat-tat. But what about that Tooooooot-toooooooot?

Mommy's hoot doesn't last that long! It must be a train, the evening special, coming through the twilight. But then there's a deep croak... croak. That's too low for Mommy's hoot. It's got to be a toad! Whew! So far, so good.

At last all is still. Night Owl is on top of the situation.

But then he hears a pitter-pattering sound on the dead leaves below!

THE SKY IS MAKING NOISES!

BOOM!

It's time to stop listening and starting flying. Night Owl switches attention to his big eyes that see so well in the dark. And what does he see ahead? His hole? His home! He swoops inside, folds his wings, and closes his eyes to listen for the one sound he really wants to hear, a soft Hoot-Hoot from Mommy Owl.

Toni Yuly's new Night Owl (Feiwel and Friends, 2015) is a masterpiece of simple lines and gorgeous deep nighttime color in a charming bedtime story that will make young would-be night owls appreciate their beds. Yuly's spare blackline drawing of her little hero humorously portray his attempts at bravado and his headlong flight for cover as the thunderstorm sends him home. Pair this one with Jonathan Allen's little sleepy-time holdout in his I'm Not Sleepy! (Baby Owl) (see review here) to get prospective little night owls into the proper nighttime-is-the-right-time snooze mood.