Owl took up staring at an early age.
While most parents discourage staring, Owl was raised to stare at everyone and everything.
Owl is fabulous at staring. His parents are proud but not everyone else is. He finds it tough to find a job, only partly because he has feathers. It’s his stare. It’s unsettling. Poor Owl despairs of finding a job. But when he has all but resigned himself to unemployment, he finds the perfect job. Illustrations are black and white and yellow, using graphite and Photoshop. The Staring Owl is a mid-sized hardback picture book, with a matt finish to the cover…except for those eyes. They shine.
Owl tries very hard to find a job. Although he has very well-developed staring skills, none of the jobs he considers are quite right. All use staring but not his unrelenting staring. And he feels a little victimised because he’s not human. But he finally finds his place. And having done so, he remembers what it felt like to be an outsider and he sets up a support group for those like him. This gently humourous story suggests that there is a place for everyone in the world, even if that place is not easy to find. It’s a lovely fable. Recommended for all staring owls.
The Staring Owl, Luke Edwards
Omnibus Books 2010
ISBN: 9781862919112
review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author www.clairesaxby.com
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