Baby Owl—accompanied only by his trusty toy owl, Owly—is out at night, sans parents, for the first time, and if he feels a bit frightened, he certainly isn’t going to admit it. As Baby Owl meets an array of woodland animals—Badger, Bear, Bat and finally Papa Owl—each tells him not to be scared. “I’m NOT scared!” Baby Owl replies with a wide-eyed look. “It’s Owly who’s scared,” he finally tells Papa. Papa is happy to soothe Owly and Baby Owl as well. As the sun comes up, he reads Baby Owl a book, tucks in the two intrepid adventurers and reminds Baby Owl that it’s okay to be afraid of the dark. “Papa means you, Owly,” Baby Owl says, keeping up a brave front and drifting off to sleep. Young children will find comfort and a chuckle in this simple, quiet story, and the charming pictures perfectly depict Baby Owl’s sense of independence and bravado. A nice choice for youngsters just starting to explore the outside world. (Picture book. 2-4)
