Kirkus Review

A sweet and comforting bedtime tale for little ones. It's "late o'clock," and Little Owl's mother is snuggling him into bed. He refuses to sleep and attempts to postpone the inevitable in various, expected ways. Children will relate to his stalling tactics, which include asking for another story, declaring a fear of the dark, and misplacing his beloved stuffed toy Hedge. Mommy Owl patiently handles these diversions with clever responses that soothe her little one. She gently comforts him by turning the sources of his distress into imaginative scenes of whimsy. These charming depictions display as double-page spreads; they stand out through the use of color and provide a nice contrast in perspective next to the bedtime scenes, which mostly unfurl in vignettes and full-page images. Little Owl finally settles down to sleep after he replicates Mommy's supportive routine with Hedge. Curiously, this owl family goes to bed at night, which even young readers will recognize as unusual for most of the species. Still, this minor discrepancy may be overlooked by readers and doesn't detract from the overall message of the reassuring effects of unconditional parental love. While this story treads familiar territory, it radiates warmth and sincerity to ease readers into a peaceful night's rest. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.