THE OWL WHO CAME FOR CHRISTMAS

THE OWL WHO CAME FOR CHRISTMAS by John Hoy. Illustrated by Garry Parsons.

Our family has a love and "soft spot" for owls. Living in the woods like we do, it is always a treat to see them and hear them call back and forth to each other. We mainly enjoy the company of barred owls, but we will occasionally hear the haunting cry of a screech owl, and one time I spotted a great horned owl! With this in mind, anytime we see a book that involves an owl, we are checking it out!

THIS IS LAUREN'S BOOK 3 PICK from her book shopping excursion!

The Owl Who Came for Christmas is a GREAT read to share with kids, because it is based on a TRUE STORY! A family goes and purchases a Christmas tree from a tree lot, takes it home, decorates it, and is enjoying it in their home when one of the kids notices what looks like an ornament is actually a live screech owl. Can you even imagine? There is a part of me that thinks that is the "coolest thing ever," and there is part of me that thinks "what a nightmare!"  (I hate when my momma logical side rears its head evaluating the truth of a situation instead of just looking at the magic of it all!) Anyway! The book shares the "rest of the story" (as Paul Harvey infamously used to say!), and I'll just end this summary by saying that she (yes, the owl is a female) is safely removed and released!

I am always reading the Author's notes and publishing info when I start noticing certain things such as unique vocabulary in a story. What is interesting with this book is that the event happened here in America (and there are real pictures and info at the end of the book on the true story), but it is written as if it occurred in England. You'll see words such as Mum, garden, and lorry. I am always fascinated by little things like this!

This is another great read to snuggle up with littles and imagining an event like this really happening!