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Summary
Summary
Watch out! Hoot Owl is hungry in an offbeat story with deadpan humor and bold, striking illustrations.
Hoot Owl is no ordinary owl. He is a master of disguise! In the blackness of night, he's preparing to swoop on his prey before it can realize his dastardly tricks. Look there--a tasty rabbit for him to eat! Hoot Owl readies his costume, disguising himself as . . . a carrot! Then he waits. The rabbit runs off. Never mind! Surely his next juicy target will cower against such a clever and dangerous creature as he! Kids will hoot at Sean Taylor's deliciously tongue-in-beak narration, belied by the brilliantly comical illustrations of Jean Jullien.
Author Notes
Sean Taylor is an author, storyteller, and teacher who has written more than twenty books for young children, including The World Champion of Staying Awake, illustrated by Jimmy Liao. Sean Taylor divides his time between the U.K. and Brazil.
Jean Jullien is a graphic designer who works in a wide range of media, including illustration, photography, video, installation, and clothing. His clients have included the New Yorker, New York magazine , the Guardian, and the Pompidou Center. Originally from France, he now lives in London and regularly exhibits his work in both places.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Taylor (The World Champion of Staying Awake) sends up old-fashioned suspense fiction by contrasting his hero's puffed-up ego with his inept plans to capture things to eat. Newcomer Jullien paints Hoot Owl as a dumpy egg-cup of a bird-not the sort you'd expect to deliver this pitch-perfect purple prose: "The terrible silence of the night spreads everywhere. But I cut through it like a knife." Hoot Owl spots his prey and lets readers in on his nefarious plans: "I am a master of disguise. I devise a costume." The animals he's after-a rabbit, lamb, and pigeon-all look remarkably composed when they spot Hoot Owl in disguise. "I disguise myself as an ornamental birdbath," he says importantly. "I wait." The pigeon perches on the edge of the birdbath, then flies off, a small curlicue above its head signaling mild puzzlement. Fortunately, the hungry Hoot Owl is finally able to deceive and capture something-a pizza. Smart pacing, easy-to-read spreads, and complete confidence that no animals will be hurt in the reading of this book make it a winner. Ages 3-7. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Everyone knows owls are wise. But...I am a master of disguise." A self-important owl puts on various costumes (e.g., a carrot suit) in hopes of catching prey (a rabbit), but there are no takers because the costumes are (hilariously) terrible. Hoot should be bragging about how satisfying this book is: big and square; gag-filled; and brimming with bold, thick-lined illustrations. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Hoot Owl explains that he is hungry and proud of his creative disguises employed to capture prey. He assembles a carrot costume in pursuit of rabbit and becomes an ornamental birdbath to nab a pigeon. He is totally unsuccessful until he dons waiter's attire and devours..a pizza! The owl's braggadocio and camouflage amuse throughout. Jullien's spreads feature primary colors and mostly black backgrounds that feature playfully rounded cartoon characters. Use this read-aloud for levity during a study of nocturnal animals or when discussing different ways to approach a problem.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A confident owl employs ace hunting skillssort ofto fill his tummy.Hoot Owl's hungry, but he isn't worried, because he's an excellent predator. His first quarry's a "tasty rabbit," wide-eyed and innocent. Hoot Owl has a special technique, which becomes a refrain: "Everyone knows owls are wise. But as well as being wise, I am a master of disguise." He dresses up as a carrot and sets himself down. The bunny smiles in the carrot's direction and hops away. Undeterred, Hoot Owl restarts the pattern, targeting a bespectacled lamb and a pigeon, to no avail. Hoot Owl talks a fierce and uproarious game"I swoop through the bleak blackness like a wolf in the air"; "The lamb looks cuddly, but soon I will be eating it"but he never actually attacks anything. He merely camouflages himselfbut not reallyand waits. Jullien's bold, black outlines, expressive animal eyes and positioning (Hoot Owl is frequently sideways) hilariously complement Taylor's text, which reveals the predator as both melodramatic ("The shadowy night stretches away forever, as black as burnt toast") and unflustered. Rich, matte colors and a flattish, zoomed-in perspective of the nighttime scenes keep the vibe immediate and nonthreatening. Never fear: Hoot Owl's "deadly-dangerous beak" eventually chomps on something that even squeamish readers will approve of. A rib-tickling pleaser. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
