Knight Owl and Early Bird
by Christopher Denise; illus. by the author
Preschool, Primary    Ottaviano/Little, Brown    48 pp.
10/24    9780316564526    $18.99
e-book ed.  9780316579919    $10.99

The diminutive hero from Denise’s Caldecott Honor–winning Knight Owl returns in this sequel, which introduces a new character, wannabe knight Early Bird. The tiny, big-eyed creature keeps Knight Owl, now captain of the castle’s night watch, awake with her incessant chatter. After several days of interrupted sleep, he finally snaps: “PLEASE GO AWAY!” But when she doesn’t return by nightfall, worried Owl heads out into the cold, dark forest to look for her. Peril ensues in the form of a pack of menacing wolves, and who should arrive (accompanied by many knights) to rescue him but Early Bird—wearing a metal cup as a helmet and brandishing a wooden spoon. All ends happily with the two friends sharing pancakes: breakfast for Knight Owl, dinner for Early Bird. As in the first book, the art varies from personality-rich vignettes to dramatic, atmospheric double-page spreads, with a palette of warm golds for the cozy indoor scenes and smoky grays and blues at night. The text uses repetition effectively (“Early Bird kept herself busy in one way…or another”); a veritable barrage of different font sizes and styles conveys Early Bird’s overly enthusiastic prattle; and frequent use of onomatopoeia (particularly the “awoooooooooo” of the wolves) encourages listener participation. An appealing picture book, tailor-made for storyhour.

From the ">January/February 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.