Nayana and The not So-Scary Owl
age group: 
3+ yrs
Number of pages: 
16
Publisher: 
Pratham Books
Themes:
owls nature and wildlife
Genre:
picture book, creative non-fiction
 

In this rare story featuring an owl, we meet Nayana, a happy little girl who is surrounded by nature and hence grows to love and appreciate them all, with one exception - Owls!
She is petrified of them, even a picture of an owl sends her off in a tizzy. However, when one day, a little lost owl lands on her balcony and is being attacked by the crows, she finds the courage to help her father save the scared little bird.

A small story giving a big message that however, maligned or scary a bird may seem it is after all, just a harmless little creature struggling to survive in our concrete jungle. The story is well written without any sermonizing and that helps in effectively driving home the message.

The vivid illustrations and the almost human-like expressions of the owl add to the appeal of the book.

Reviewed by Shamim Padamsee