Owl Moon

          By Jane Yolen and Illustrated By John Schoenherr

How fondly I remember Owl Moon. This was the very first book from which I taught my very first lesson during my practicum in a fifth grade classroom. This book was part of the Language Arts curriculum in the Virginia Beach Public Schools.  I was given the book and asked to cover its content and vocabulary words for my lesson.  I focused on figurative language and the author's purpose. The students were engrossed with the book's suspense (will they get an owl or not?!) and immersed in the text and illustrations. 

The students had never heard of the activity "Owling" (neither had I until I read the book) but found it to be intriguing. Yolen's typical calm, soothing tone is present in the book causing the reader (and audience) to feel the same. Her use of description was one of the main focal points of my lesson.  She uses language that appeals to the senses to create a "life-like" appeal. For example she describes her experience of viewing the woods late at night for the first time: "The shadows were the blackest things I had ever seen. They stained the white snow." After reading this part of the book I asked the class how the author uses figurative language. They were able to recognize that Yolen describes the trees as "staining" the snow to create a mental image for the reader and that the trees were not literally "staining" the snow. I also paused reading at certain parts to assess the students' understanding of the book.  I remember every single student participating and begging me to continue reading because they were so interested in the story.  

This book is also an excellent mentor text for teaching prediction techniques. I asked the student's to do a "think-a-minute" with their tables to discuss what they predicted would happen at the end of the story. Student responses ranged from the characters finding an owl to a snow storm covering their footpath. It was truly remarkable to listen to their ideas. The illustrations helped the students make their predictions. Schoenherr's use of a dark palette reflects the mysterious, quiet tone represented in the dark woods at night. The centerfold containing the illustration of the owl shows the presence of a source of light (the moon in the background or the flashlight focusing directly on the bird) making it the brightest illustration in the book.  I asked the student's to create their own pictures of an owl using any media of their choice.  The following day they exchanged pictures and made lists of words describing the owl in the picture.  

This book interested all of the students and caused them to become immersed in the lesson content. Every single student participated during my lesson.  I give credit to both Yolen and Schoenherr for making my first lesson in the teaching field such a success. The quality of literature combined with my focused content interested and entertained the entire class.