Knight Owl and Early Bird

In this exciting adventure and follow-up to the #1 New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Honor award-winning classic, Knight Owl makes an unlikely friend in the over-zealous Early Bird—who wants to be a brave knight, too.  

Early Bird wants to be brave and protect the castle, just like Knight Owl. But she falls asleep on the job and then keeps her hero up during the day with her enthusiastic chattiness, well-meaning questions, and cheerful owl impersonations. But there are strange happenings in the forest, and soon Knight Owl and Early Bird find themselves in the throes of danger. Will these two learn to work together to keep themselves and the kingdom safe?  

Adventurous Early Bird likes to chatter, ask questions, and be busy all day. Her cheerful nature is endearing, and readers will be sad when Knight Owl tells Early Bird, “You are not an owl! You are not a knight! You are a very early bird . . . Please go away.” Later, Knight Owl regrets his actions and goes to the forest to search for Early Bird. When the wolves surround Knight Owl, Early Bird—and a group of very large knights—come to the rescue. Ultimately, Early Bird and Knight Owl learn to respect each other’s sleeping schedules. Early Bird keeps busy all day, Knight Owl paroles the castle at night, and “the two friends talked about their day and night over pancakes.”  

Knight Owl and Early Bird begins with a dark and foreboding picture of wolves in the forest that is reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast. Many of the castle illustrations are dark and dreary, with cute little details such as the dragon stuffed animal that Knight Owl snuggles with and the pogo stick horse that Early Bird rides. The pictures are amazingly detailed, and young readers can spend hours studying them. Each time you read through the book, you are sure to find another cute detail that will make you smile.  

Even though Knight Owl and Early Bird is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. Each page has one to eleven sentences. The story’s repetition and onomatopoeia make Knight Owl and Early Bird a fun book to read aloud. However, the story’s length and text-heavy pages may make it difficult for really young readers. 

Knight Owl and Early Bird is a wonderful story highlighting the importance of embracing your differences. Knight Owl and Early Bird are adventurous and brave, but their personalities and sleep schedules are completely different, which doesn’t stop the two knights from being friends. In addition, even though Knight Owl hurts Early Bird’s feelings, the two work through their difficulties and come to a compromise, which is an important skill for everyone. Readers will fall in love with both Knight Owl and Early Bird as they learn that bravery and forgiveness are needed in every friendship.  

Sexual Content  

• None 

Violence  

• While the story hints that wolves have been eating knights, most of the story revolves around Knight Owl and Early Bird’s contrasting sleep habits.  
• Knight Owl enters the forest, and a pack of wolves surrounds him. Early Bird, who is carrying a large wooden spoon, yells, “Stop! Stop! Stoppity! Stop! Stop!” When the wolves see the large knights behind Early Bird, they run.  
• An illustration shows the knights chasing the wolves. The knights are carrying weapons. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

• None 

Language  

• None 

Supernatural 

• None 

Spiritual Content  

• None