Under the Sleepy Stars

by Stephanie Shaw, Rebecca Harry (Illustrator)

Overview

One night, an owl and her owlet watch the forest animals get ready to sleep. "Who settles Fawn in her bed for the night?" asks the wide-awake owlet. As night turns to dawn, it's Owlet's turn to feel snug and warm as his mama cuddles him in their nest.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781589252042
Publisher:	Tiger Tales.
Publication date:	09/01/2015
Pages:	22
Product dimensions:	7.94(w) x 7.94(h) x 0.79(d)
Lexile:	AD530L (what's this?)
Age Range:	2 - 4 Years

About the Author

Stephanie lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Drawing from the fields and forests of the area, she loves creating lyrical stories for the nursery. She is most influenced in her writing by having had parents who wisely filled her life with books. It is in their honor that she now writes stories for other parents to share with little ones.

Editorial Reviews

08/03/2015
As diurnal animals go to sleep in the forest, an owlet asks his mother about how animal parents care for their young. Shaw quickly establishes a calm, lulling mood through the back-and-forth of the owls’ conversation. “Mama, who sings a song/ until Mouse falls asleep?” the owlet asks. “The crickets sing high notes./ The bullfrogs sing deep,” the mother responds. Harry’s pastel-hued illustrations have a soft, moonlit glow as she shows a cuddly mother bear hugging her cub, an adult deer kissing her offspring, and other quiet scenes of animal affection. While the book doesn’t necessarily distinguish itself from many similar titles, its message about a mother’s unconditional, constant care comes through clearly. Ages 2–5. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

2015-08-31
Mama Owl and her baby owlet look down on the forest, watching as the animals settle down for the night. The conversation between Owlet and Mama is presented in rhyming quatrains. Baby asks: "Mama, who sings a song / until Mouse falls asleep?" Mama answers: "The crickets sing high notes. / The bullfrogs sing deep." The pair looks on as a mother mouse, deer, bunny, and bear all settle down in sleepy heaps with their young. When the sun begins to rise, it is time for Mama Owlet to rock her own little one to sleep: "Mama, who do you love / the way those mamas do?" "My sweet, precious Owlet, I'll always love you." The illustrations present the forest at night as a delicate world of greens and blues, illuminated by the soft glow of the moon and stars. The sleeping animals look equally peaceful and full of love, from bunnies to bears. The reassuring message, lilting language, quiet illustrations, and thick, padded cover make this one suitable for soothing little ones to sleep. A sweet selection to help comfort and pacify baby at bedtime. (Board book. 1-3)

Kirkus Reviews