Babies and toddlers · ages 0–3

Owl Babies

Three owl babies wake up, and their mother is gone.

Owl Babies — Martin Waddell, illustrated by Patrick Benson (Walker Books). Ages 2–5.

Three owl babies wake in the night and their mother isn't there. Sarah reasons it out, Percy hopes, and Bill just says the same four words over and over: “I want my mummy”.

Benson draws the dark as something with actual texture, so the branch feels genuinely high up and the waiting feels long.

The catch — it sits directly on separation anxiety, and for a child in the middle of that it can land too close.

The fear is never argued with. She simply comes back, and it is answered.

Get the full guide: The First Shelf →

Cover: Owl Babies · Martin Waddell, illustrated by Patrick Benson · Walker Books