by Andy Runton (jPB (Series) Runton)
I stumbled across the first volume in this series a year ago and fell in love with the charming art. Actually, “Owly” first premiered in 2004 from a different publisher, with somewhat muted colors, but since his 2020 re-introduction from publisher “Graphix” (an imprint from the youth Scholastic publisher), he’s been a full-color phenomenon. Owly is a short, round, friendly little owl, who lives in a walk-up treetop home and spends his days playing, gardening, and roaming his forest, looking to make new friends. He shows none of the traits of owls that classify them as “predators”, and is in fact, one of the least-threatening characters around.
In the first volume (of four so far), Owly rescues a small earthworm from drowning in a puddle after a storm, and he and Wormy then become best friends, after Owly helps Wormy find his family. In all subsequent volumes, Owly and Wormy have become roommates and share all their exploring adventures together. Owly is constantly having to overcome the reputation of owls as a frightening species to most other animals he encounters, which causes the “making friends” part of his day to be difficult. In the second volume, “Just a Little Blue”, Owly and Wormy build a new home for a family of bluebirds, who don’t initially trust in their good intentions. In volume three, “Flying Lessons”, a skittish flying squirrel, new to the woods, ultimately teaches Owly how to glide (his wings are too small to take off, but if he starts at a high enough height, he can still glide). And in the fourth volume, “A Time to Be Brave”, a frightened Wormy has to be convinced that a timid but toothy opossum is not the frightening dragon from a fairytale book that Owly is reading.
The artwork in this entire series is incredibly vivid and bright, and each character introduced definitely has its own look. The pair of ruby-throated hummingbirds introduced in volume 1 are absolutely adorable. Unlike most of the other characters, whose word balloons include actual text, Owly does not “speak” with words, but instead his word balloons are filled with symbols or little pictures, which make perfect narrative sense, but take a little getting used to as a reader. Overall, a heartwarming and charming series of simple graphic novels, aimed at a young audience, but adults will appreciate the messages of friendship, hope and generosity exemplified by these beautifully illustrated characters.
( official Owly and Andy Runton web site )
Recommended
by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service
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