Synopsis
Late one winter night a father and child go owling. The trees stand still as statues, and the world is silent as a dream. Whoo-whoo-whoo, the father calls to the mysterious nighttime bird. But there is no answer. Wordlessly the two companions walk along, for when you go owling you don't need words. You don't need anything but hope. Sometimes there isn't an owl, but sometimes there is.- ★★★★☆
- ★★★★☆
- ★★★★★
- ★★★★★
- Why do they go owl-watching at night instead of during the day? Some animals are nocturnal. They sleep during the day and hunt for food at night.
- What other animals might you only see in the night?
- Why did the child have to be silent?
- Why do you think the child doesn’t complain about the cold? It’s okay to be uncomfortable sometimes, this is called “healthy discomfort”—an amount of discomfort that trains us to find comfort from within rather than from without (i.e. adjusting our environment).
- Do you think the child was afraid? What made the child less fearful? Explain the meaning of resilience.
- Who should we call on when we feel uncomfortable? Practice dhikr with your child.
- What does patience mean?
- Discuss the difference between “positive patience” and “negative patience”—waiting with a smile vs. waiting with a frown.
- Why was the child silent on the way home? The child has learned how to silently contemplate or think deeply about the world around her.
- Do you ever spend time contemplating? When is a good time to contemplate?
Mindful Muslim Review
A perfect bedtime book, this story captures the beauty of silence and stillness in the midst of hope. Told in the first person from the perspective of a child, the story takes the reader into the world of a child’s positive “self-talk.” By practicing resilience, the child replaces small discomforts and fears with anticipation, attention, and appreciation. This book earns our Gold Star because it teaches children how to push through “healthy discomfort” and be patient and present in the moment.
Teaching Tools
Genres: Educational, General Fiction, STEM
Publisher: Philomel Books
*This review applies only to ISBN number noted above.
