Owl is 7, very nearly 8, my first baby… and the book I have chosen for him is Owl Babies.  I have read it to all my babies, and still do.  Though they are not babies any more, not even Tiddler really, they still love this book.

Written by Martin Waddell and illustrated by Patrick Benson, Owl Babies is the story of three baby owls and their mother who live in a hole in the trunk of a tree.  One night the babies wake up and find that their mother has gone.  They edge out of their hole, sit on the tree and wait for her for what feels like a very long time.  “And the baby owls closed their owl eyes and wished their Owl Mother would come… AND SHE CAME.”  The baby owls jump around and flap with excitement.  ” ‘WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS?’ their Owl Mother asked .  ‘You knew I’d come back.’ ”  In some ways it’s an unsettling book to read; the feelings of anxiety so clearly drawn will resonate with anyone who has experienced them as a child or recognises them in their own children.  However, the reassurance of the Mother who always comes back brings a happy and comforting ending to the story.