Helen Milroy, Owl and Star, Fremantle Press, October 2022, 32 pp,, RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760992156
Owl and Star is the first picture book in Helen Milroy’s new series in which the Backyard series author invites readers to appreciate the magic of stars.
Owl loves the magical times between day and night and knows every star in the universe.
At dawn, he would bask in the cool mist and gentle light, and drift off into his dream time.
Every morning, as moon went to her slumber, all the stars would descend from the heavens like a fine dew to cover the earth with renewed hope for a new day.
One evening, Owl’s favourite little star fails to appear, and Owl uses all his strength and might to search for her, far and wide. When Owl finds the fading star, she has missed the call of the breeze and with it her chance of returning to the heavens. With his strength rapidly diminishing, Owl must find a way to help his friend and restore her to her special place in the universe.
This picture book is lyrically told with incredible imagery, conjured through Milroy’s words and the beautifully bold illustrations. Young readers will adore this magnificent tale of friendship and how Owl came to be the guardian of the stars.
Reviewed by Lisa Hoad
