Owl Babies by Martin Waddell

8/10

Sarah, Percy and Bill wake up in their tree nest to find their owl mother gone. “I want my mummy” cries Bill, whilst Sarah and Percy do their best to comfort him and each other whilst waiting for their mother's return.

This is a story that children who are maybe starting nursery or pre-school for the first time or who are experiencing separation anxiety will be able to relate to and will find the story's soothing words and return of mother owl reassuring. At an age when fear for children can be and hard for them to express this story conveys the feeling of everything being a little bit overwhelming without mum around and the detailed and delicate illustrations by Patrick Benson with the owl babies expressive eyes and joyful jumps really add another dimension to Martin Waddell's words.

Each of the three owl babies have their own personalities with Sarah, the biggest, the sensible one, Percy, the middle baby, who is trying to be brave and Bill, the smallest baby owl and the one who needs most of all the comforting words of his siblings. When mother owl comes back from hunting and arrives at the nest she asks “What's all the fuss? You knew I'd come back” the baby owls realise there is nothing to be frightened of and that deep down they always knew that their mummy would return because she always does.

A beautifully written and illustrated story; your child will love to cuddle up and read this book with you time after time.