OWL ALWAYS LOVE YOU!

A parent owl, represented by a finger puppet embedded on the top of the book, follows its owlet around in Runaway Bunny fashion.

“If you fly up high in a tree, / I’ll fly there, too, to see what you see.” So goes the pedestrian opening text as the parental owl puppet looks down on each page and the baby owl roosts in a tree, hoots at the stars, enjoys some daytime play (yes, some owls are diurnal), and snuggles in bed on subsequent pages. Readers can manipulate the quilted finger puppet from the back to portray the progenitor owl. A stiff felt backing keeps the puppet upright. Magsamen’s signature, colorful patterns of polka dots and stripes are used to highlight key words in the text and to embellish the various owls in the cheery illustrations. The project ends with the baby owl standing on a heart-bedazzled Earth and reaching up to the puppet opposite verse that concludes with the groanworthy titular line, “Owl always love you!”

At only 12 pages, it’s more puppet than book.