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Owly & Wormy

by Andy Runton
40p. 978-1-41695-774-4.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—Wildly popular as a graphic novel for elementary students, Owly is introduced to the younger set through a picture-book format. Essentially wordless, the story is told through illustrations and thought bubbles filled with pictures and symbols. The story begins as the two friends watch butterflies depart their garden. Owly's thought bubble shows three butterflies, an arrow, and a big question mark: Where are they going and why? He and Wormy decide that flowers will bring them back and begin an elaborate solution. Instead of butterflies, though, they are distraught to find two caterpillars munching away on the leaves. Though they initially tell the caterpillars to scram, the pals are swayed by their tearful plea that the plant is their home. The four become fast friends, at least until the caterpillars mysteriously disappear. Older readers will immediately guess what happened, but it is still fun to see Owly and Wormy's delight when their friends miraculously reappear. The large, full-color format makes the book easy for young readers to decode. Round, comforting shapes abound, particularly Owly with his bulbous eyes. With its cheerful palette, cartoon characters, and humorous expressions and details, this is a thoroughly endearing story.—Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR
Owly and Wormy hope that butterflies will be attracted to their garden; they get caterpillars instead. The protagonists eventually become friends with the caterpillars, and this makes their disappearance all the more unsettling--until the creatures reappear as butterflies. In this mostly wordless book, the illustrations, featuring a giant-eyed owl and its amorphous friends, can be hard to decode.
Andy Runton conveys his story entirely through illustrations; even the characters’ “speech” bubbles contain only images and easily recognizable symbols. This approachable format will attract pre-readers, beginning readers, and reluctant readers. The simple tale is full of heartwarming details and subtle humor, such as the nuanced expressions on Owly’s face and the appearance of a compact fluorescent lightbulb over his head when he has an idea. Cute characters and saturated backgrounds give the bold artwork wide appeal. The design will also draw in lovers of comic books and the existing Owly graphic novels. Attentive readers may notice cocoons gradually getting bigger on Owly’s plant. When Owly learns the relationship between caterpillars and butterflies, readers will, too. Or, if they already know the connection, they’ll have the joy of solving the mystery of the green bugs’ disappearance before Owly does.

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