THE OWL BOY

A shape-shifting boy makes efforts to befriend a mortal enemy in Butler’s fantasy chapter book, one in a series.

The Owl Boy, who can change from a young boy to an owl, has never spoken to a human. He doesn’t perceive loneliness in owl form, but as a boy he definitely feels it. Luckily, he meets third grader Ben, who knows someone much like the Owl Boy: Benita, who’s a Bird Girl. The Owl Boy accepts Ben’s suggested name of Owen, but quickly realizes that becoming friends with Benita will be much harder—she’s a crow, the natural enemy to Owen’s great-horned owl. To ease any tension, Owen is hoping to join Ben and Benita in their Bird Club, especially after he has a chance encounter with member Olivia. (The club’s youthful members are close in age, as no one older than 9 can see people like Benita and Owen.) Unfortunately, the Bird Girl has no desire to get close to an Owl Boy and wants him nowhere near her territory (“Stay away, or my band of crows will mob you!”). Butler’s follow-up to Ben and the Bird Girl (2024) continues the story that began with Ben and Benita. This sequel adds some engaging characters (including Olivia’s older brother, Jared) and expands upon previously established plot elements, namely the mental process of bird-human transformation. As in the first installment, the themes are understated and persuasive; Owen struggles to fit in with a group of friends, one of whom decides she doesn’t like him based solely on his natural self and how he looks. The story is playful as well; Owen’s cowlicks give him “hair horns.” The author’s no-frills sketches once again offer copious glimpses of nature, with several views of a waterfall standing out as the most indelible images.

This diverting story of forlornness further develops a winsome ongoing serial.