The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark

by Jill Tomlinson

Book Overview

"One of our absolute favourites" - Zoe Ball''Utterly beguiling' - Lucy Mangan, GuardianPlop, the Baby Barn Owl, is like every Barn Owl there ever was, except for one thing - he is afraid of the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1405210931
• ISBN13: 9781405210935
• Release Date: March 2004
• Publisher: Egmont Books (UK)
• Length: 99 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.1" x 7.8"
• Age Range: 3 to 7 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 2

Customer Reviews

Utterly Delightful, Magical, and oh, so FUNNY!

Jill Tomlinson, the brilliant author of this book -The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark- as well as quite a few others of a similar vein, must have mainlined her inner child when developing Plop, the main character in this wonderful story. Plop is a young barn owl. Plop is a hungry, young barn owl. Plop is a hungry, young barn owl frightened of the dark, and Plop's poor, exhausted parents are at their wits end about the whole situation. Between hunting trips & way too few naps, Plops parents -rather than forcing him to face his fear unprepared- urge him to learn as much as he can about the dark. Plop achieves this by approaching a few of the characters who happen to be within sight of his nesting tree. Wait a minute...I need to stop. There is no way I can even come close to summarizing this story for you that would do it the justice it so well deserves. Buy the book...really! I will, however, say that this is one of the BEST children's stories I have EVER had the privlege of reading, let alone sharing with my child. My little girl (who is 7, as of today) is very much like Plop. She's intelligent, precocious, outgoing -and dare I say it?- a HOOT! And, also like Plop, she fears the dark. The story kept both of us interested the entire time, & we shared so many laughs! And, on the last night of the story my brave little girl asked me to turn off the light... Whether you are looking for a book to help a child deal with this fear, or if you are just looking for a great book to read to (or with) a child, I'd say this book is a guaranteed WINNER! Buy the book! I am looking forward to reading three other books by Jill Tomlinson I bought for my girl's birthday; the ones with the cat, the otter, and the aardvark. I have no doubt they were created with the same magic as this one. Check them out. Enjoy!

Super Satisfied

I was amazed by how perfect this book was. It still had the paper cover over the hardcover as if it were brand new directly off the shelf of any book shop in town. All three books I bought from this company were in perfect condition. I would definitely buy from them again.

A lark in the dark

Originally published in 1968, "The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark" is considered a classic in England. Now reissued with a whole new illustrator, we members of the United States finally get a chance to read this rather adorable tale. Though not a cutesy story in and of itself, illustrator Paul Howard has drawn a book that has perhaps set the standard for adorable barn owl tales everywhere. Plop (an unfortuanate name, but whatcha gonna do?) is a small barn owl. Plop is also afraid of the dark. Though his parents attempt to inform him that there is nothing to be afraid of, he remains unconvinced. Finally, they tell him to ask various people and animals for information about the dark. From a boy the owl learns that the dark is exciting, with fireworks and such. From an astrologer he learns that the dark is wondrous, allowing us to see the many constellations in the sky. And so forth. In the end, Plop is convinced and is able to safely fly in the sky with his mother and father without fear. If you'd like to read something to your little one that doesn't contain much in the way of tension or drama, this book's your ticket. Though Plop does partake in various escapades, none of these ever become dangerous. I was particularly interested in a section where he asks a black cat about the night. Considering that a cat would undoubtedly view a baby barn owl as a yummy snack, I was a bit amazed that nothing bad happened between the two. Nothing so much as the cat licking his chops or thinking to himself, "Boy could I go for a little fowl right now". Nuthin'. Which is fine. Illustrator Paul Howard has added pictures drawn with pastel pencils. The result is that Plop is the fuzziest, cutest, cuddliest little fluffball of an owl to ever flutter across the pages of a picture book. In addition to being a useful book for children that are afraid of the dark, it is also a good story for convincing children that owls are nothing, in and of themselves, to be afraid of. Just don't pair this story with Avi's "Poppy". All in all, this is a sweet little story with fuzzy-wuzzy pictures. Cuddly and adorable all at once, it is certain to be a child's favorite as the years go by.

Magical

I was eight years old. I read the paperback edition of this book every night, cover to cover. The story of the effervescent Plop and the conquering of his fear of the dark is as enduring now as it was when it was first published over 30 years ago. This version is abridged and illustrated from the one that saw me safely to dreamland as a child. No matter. The spirit is preserved and the illustrations are wonderful. Great for any kid with any phobia. A magical book.

The best childhood book

I am now 13 years old, and I still listen to this classic tape when I have nightmares at night. When I was little I used to listen to it every single night. I listened to it so much that I almost broke it. If you are a parent looking for a good childhood book for your child I highly recommend it, from firsthand experience of being a child. Thanks