Happy Easter, Little Hoo!

February 1, 2019
A little owl goes on a first Easter egg hunt at home with mother owl.The mother owl, wearing a pink apron, narrates the story as she encourages her chick to look for eggs she has hidden around their cozy, well-appointed home. Their house has brown, wooden walls and floors as if it might be inside a tree, but the owls enjoy all the features of a human home, such as lamps, a fireplace, and a kitchen. The mother owl gives Little Hoo specific hints on the location of each egg, with encouraging comments and praise at each step. The simple text is set in large white type against the brown backgrounds, with lots of exclamation marks to underscore the mother's cheerleading tone. Digitally produced illustrations use simple, bold shapes and feature brightly decorated eggs, each in a different pattern, and the two owls with their huge eyes exude a simple charm. Two glaring errors detract from the book. A recap of eggs found in the living room indicates one egg found behind a picture frame, but that frame is missing in the previous illustration of the living room. Another illustration issue is a spread with all the eggs lined up for counting, but the number of eggs shown does not correspond with the collected eggs shown in the previous spread; little counters will notice. In companion title Little Hoo Has the Flu, the mother owl nurses her chick through a little fever.As consistent picture-to-text matching is a paramount value in picture books, these errors mar an otherwise pleasant story. (Picture book. 2-5)

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January 1, 2021

PreS-Gr 2-This little owl, referred to as "you" and never gendered, is constantly thinking that things are about them. They don't understand why friends are leaving them behind to do other things. The omnicient narrator reminds Little Hoo that those friends just happen to be playing soccer. Some of them are being called to dinner by their parents. Little Hoo needs to be counseled constantly that "It's not about you, Little Hoo," even being picked last for sports. "Someone has to be last." And after a long litany of mishaps that are not about Little Hoo, the caregiver says that there is one thing that is about Little Hoo-and readers see that the two of them are sharing this book. VERDICT This book is a great starting point for conversations about social-emotional awareness, and will find a home in many collections.-Amy Lukich, Tinley Park P.L., IL

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