A Little Owl Called Hooty, by Diana C Vickery

A Little Owl Called Hooty, by Diana C Vickery
Published by Swankypants Books Ltd
Amazon.co.uk/Amazon.com

When Hooty's brothers and sisters are big enough to leave the nest, little Hooty stays behind. He has a BIG problem: he is afraid of heights! Can Swankypants and Chatterbox find him the help he needs?

This cute little book was given to me by someone I work with - his mum is the author. Hooty is part of the Magical Journeys of Swankypants range, which follows a cat called - believe it or not - Swankypants in several adventures.

It's a really nicely illustrated story about a small owl who is scared of heights and can't quite find the courage to fly and catch his food. It has a rhyming scheme that helps the story bounce along well and is easy to read along to with the kids. I read it to Caitlin last week, and she was really engaged, particularly with the pictures. At first she wasn't sure why Hooty didn't want to fly, but got into urging him along when the big owl came along to show him how it was done! I must admit, she had a little bit of trouble with some of the words. While they were easy enough to explain (such as 'wise'), I think she'd probably enjoy it a lot more in a year or so (when she's 6).

It's definitely a book I'd read next in conjunction with the other Swankypants stories - knowing who Swankypants and Chatterbox are is really helpful, as Caitlin was always asking which cat was which. It's always the little things, haha! The series has just started hitting some big shops in America, and having looked at some of the potential illustrations on their facebook page, I'm really looking forward to seeing some of the books to come. Have a look at the pictures - Lewis would love the bark creatures (as they look like dinosaurs!), and I think the witches look awesome!

Also, I'm hoping to get an interview with Diana C Vickery, the author, soon, so keep your eyes peeled!