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Summary
Summary
This is a lyrical and reassuring story about growing up and leaving the barn to dance on one's own. At the biggest barn owl dance of the year, the Leave the Nest Fall Fest, keen dancer Berkeley shines as usual. Next moonrise, however, she and her fellow fledglings Bo and Bree must leave home. Though Berkeley is frightened, the winking, smiling, laughing moon lights her way. After thousands of silent wingbeats, she finds a new audience, and Flippity, Tappity, Clap Clap Clap, Berkeley's new barn dance begins. Berkeley's Barn Owl Dance ushers children into an unseen animal world, while the young owl's journey will help them prepare to spread their wings and fly on their own.
Author Notes
First-time author Tera Johnson likes to shake a tail feather, too, and enjoys tap-dancing with her own owlets, er, kids. When she isn't dancing or writing, Tera works at the Calgary Public Library and takes great pleasure in sharing storytime with young readers. Tera lives in Calgary, Alberta, with her husband and their two sons.
Tania Howells's illustrations have appeared in Chirp and Today's Parent, among other publications. She is the illustrator of Berkeley's Barn Owl Dance and Willow's Whispers. Tania lives in Toronto, Ontario.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Berkeley Barn Owl loves to dance. On the night of the Leave the Nest Fall Fest, the eve before the fledglings go off to find their own homes, she wows the crowd with her wing flapping and talon tapping. When morning comes, the little owl is hesitant to leave her parents' nest, but off she flies with her brother and sister, each of them looking for, and finding, a perfect place to live. In Howells's digitally designed illustrations, set against stark white pages, the owlets are black line cartoon drawings filled in with several shades of brown, their pale faces the distinctive heart shape of their species. The pale yellow of the smiling round moon, soft greens in trees and grass, and one pink pig represent the only other colors. Natural details in the story accurately portray the habits of barn owls, which usually lay three to six eggs, roost in tree hollows (as do Berkeley's parents) or in barn lofts (Berkeley's new home) by day, and fledge their young for 50 to 55 days, teaching them hunting skills before they fly off to independence. Johnson has created a sweet, somewhat instructional story with lilting text that lends itself to being read aloud.-Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Whoooo better to lead a barn dance than a bouncy young owl? Fledgling Berkeley spends the day practicing her dances with sibs Bo and Bree in anticipation of the Leave the Nest Fall Fest, after which Berkeley will fly away to find a barn of her own. But Berkeley neither wants to go nor understands why she has to. After Poppa and Momma Owl describe the wonders of the world that she'll experience after she leaves the nest, Berkeley, Bo and Bree set out, exploring a wood and dancing on a bridge before finding a safe, warm barn. All the animals inside seem to have been waiting for her, and she leads them in a rousing barn dance: Berkeley has found her new home. Howells's digital illustrations use simple shapes and pale hues; similarly, the book's design has a muted typeface and an abundance of white space. A warm story for the very young, with a subtle message. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
A simply told and illustrated story about leaving the nest, Johnson's picture-book debut will appeal to any child testing his or her independence. At one point, Berkeley asks her mother what she will possibly do on her own. Her mother replies, You will eat and sleep, fly and preen, and in between, you will dance. And so she does, after flying off reluctantly with her siblings, Bo and Bree, after the big annual Leave the Nest Fall Fest. Led on by a smiling, encouraging moon ( Follow me through the wood, he says), the other two owls both find places to make their own before Berkeley settles on her new home. With confidence and self-knowledge, she finds a nice warm barn where the animals welcome her and her dancing. Howells' muted-color illustrations were created digitally, and although they don't feature a great deal of detail, the images of the brown owls upon a clean, white background are appealing, particularly the owls' sweet, heart-shaped faces.--Nolan, Abby Copyright 2008 Booklist