The owl is called upon to exercise his traditional wisdom in this fable-like story of a missing sparrow, the brother of three foolish sparrows. Though Owly is an effective leader of the ever-increasing entourage, his search is quite fruitless. Investigating each clue provided by the Pack Rat, Little Lizard, Jack Rabbit and others, Owly is about to give up when Other Brother's whereabouts become suddenly obvious and create a surprise for Owly and his readers. The friendships between the various inhabitants of the wood and desert may evoke a few chuckles but the theme and handling are undistinguished and the maneuvers take too long. Black and white animal pictures by Norah Montgomerie are pleasant enough.