Wow! Said the Owl by Tim Hopgood

From the Publisher

Here’s the story of a curious little owl determined to see what the world looks like during the day. And what does she discover? A wow-worthy symphony of colors—from red butterflies to orange flowers, from white clouds to green leaves.

This boisterous and bright book is the perfect read-aloud to savor with curious little owls everywhere who are exploring the world of colors for the first time.

Children's Literature

Hopgood uses this story about a curious little owl who decides to stay awake during the day as a frame for introducing the delight of colors. Accustomed to the dark colors of the night, the owl's "Wow!" is her reaction to her first view of the warm pink of the sky at dawn, the yellow of the sum shining through the morning mist, the white clouds, blue sky, green leaves, red butterflies, and orange flowers. Gray clouds move in with rain, but the sun shines through, making a rainbow fill the sky. As the sun sets and the moon rises, the owl finds the stars at night "the most beautiful of all." So she stays up all night as well. The minimal text is almost redundant as each color in sequence dominates the double-page scenes. Hopgood's use of cut papers helps us focus on the qualities of each of the nine colors he displays, including a final color wheel that adds white, gray, pink, and indigo. The "Wow!"s may get a bit too repetitive, but the decorative designs of the colors spark attention. Color lessons can be carried from here into individual art work. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1—One day, while the other owls sleep, a little owl stays awake and is introduced to an exciting world of color. Wide spreads depict the pink dawn, yellow sun, blue sky, green leaves, gray clouds, and a colorful rainbow. The little owl is wowed by the effect of each new color, but when the sun sets, she decides that the nighttime stars are the most beautiful of all. Collage-style illustrations done in simple, bright shapes show little owl in her tree while the changing colors and perspectives keep each page turn "WOW!"-worthy. The last page includes a color wheel inviting readers to go back through the book and find the hues again. Straightforward and flowing, this title makes a satisfying introduction to the colors of the day.—Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA

Kirkus Reviews

A curious owl stays awake all day long and is astounded at all the colors she sees. Day dawns to a pink sky, fading to bright blue with fluffy white clouds and a yellow sun. The owl notices that the leaves on her tree are green and sees red butterflies land on orange flowers. Gray clouds bring showers, but the sun and rain together produce the most wondrous colors of all-a rainbow. When the day fades into night, the curious little owl remarks about all the beautiful colors there are in the daytime, but still she thinks the nighttime stars are the most wonderful of all. Hopgood's graphic-design background is evident in his illustrations, which are a mixture of color and texture, painting and drawing, all brought together digitally. The simple text suits this likable story to toddlers and early preschoolers. A solid concept book, but probably without the staying power or punch of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? or Freight Train. (Picture book. 2-5)

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