My preschool son absolutely adores owls. Whenever I take him to a zoo, he asks to see any owls first. During the holidays, he even asked for an owl toy. He also loves reading books with me and his sisters. When recently offered the chance to review 10, 9, 8…Owls Up Late! written by Georgiana Deutsch with illustrations by Ekaterina Trukhan from Silver Dolphin Books in exchange for my honest opinion, I eagerly accepted the opportunity to add a new owl title to my home library. My son excitedly grabbed the book from my hands when I first opened the package and showed him the owl family on the cover.
Author/Illustrator
Currently residing in a tiny flat in London with her husband surround by piles of beautiful books and a piano, author Georgiana Deutsch also wrote A Quiet Quiet House. When not writing, she can usually be found baking brownies and dreaming of owning a Labrador named Watson.
Drawing her inspiration from everyday life, mid-century illustration, and the books that she had when she was a child, Russian illustrator Ekaterina Trukhan graduated from Camberwell College of Arts and has since illustrated many books for children. In her spare time, she enjoys longs walks with her husband and dog.
Synopsis
Recommended for readers between the ages of 3 and 5 in preschool and kindergarten, 10, 9, 8…Owls Up Late! makes a perfect bedtime book for little readers who do not want to go to bed. When the story begins, ten little owls are playing in a tree. When bedtime comes, the little owls are having too much fun to let Mama Owl convince all her little owlets to fly down to the nest and go to sleep. Young readers will learn to count from 1 to 10 through fun and gorgeous illustrations, fun peek-through pages, and a useful counting guide at the end of the story. The 26-page hardback book with board book pages currently costs $9.99 on Amazon.
Evaluation
My three-year-old son has become super interested in learning to count recently, so 10, 9, 8…Owls Up Late! is a perfect addition to our home library. He also loves owls, so the adorable little owlet and mama owl characters help hold his attention for longer. I find the illustrations from Ekaterina Trukhan absolutely adorable. The illustration style is sweet and funny with plenty of bold colors. My infant daughter also enjoys looking at the pictures as I read the story aloud to her and her big brother. I personally like searching for the littlest owlet on each page and laughing at his delayed bedtime antics.
In addition to the illustrations, I also enjoy reading the story in 10, 9, 8…Owls Up Late! aloud to my kiddos. My six-year-old daughter has been reading on her own for the past two years, so the text is quite easy for her to read on her own. I personally enjoy the singsong rhythm of the text, which also helps hold the attention of the littlest readers. Both my preschool son and infant daughter will sit through a reading of the story out loud. The counting book is a perfect addition to my homeschool preschool classroom and our bedtime stories.
Final Verdict
If you are searching for a new counting or bedtime book to share with your young reader, I highly recommend 10, 9, 8…Owls Up Late! written by Georgiana Deutsch and illustrated by Ekaterina Trukhan from Silver Dolphin Books. The board book tells the story of ten cheeky owlets who want to stay up late to continue having fun. Through a singsong verse, Mama Owl tries to convince her babies to come to bed. Readers in preschool and kindergarten will enjoy practicing counting from 1 to 10 while exploring the boldly colored illustrations. My three kiddos and I give the counting bedtime board book many enthusiastic thumbs up!
Purchase 10, 9, 8…Owls Up Late! on Amazon via my affiliate link.
Image Credits
’10, 9, 8…Owls Up Late!’ Book Review © 2018 Heather Johnson
Front Cover of ’10, 9, 8…Owls Up Late!’ © 2018 Heather Johnson
Back Cover of ’10, 9, 8…Owls Up Late!’ © 2018 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of ’10, 9, 8…Owls Up Late!’ 1 © 2018 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of ’10, 9, 8…Owls Up Late!’ 2 © 2018 Heather Johnson
