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Owen: A Story About Letting Go of a Comfort Object (Caldecott Honor Book)

by Kevin Henkes (Author, Illustrator) Format: Hardcover

(959)

Part of: Caldecott Honor Book (3 books)

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A Caldecott Honor Book

“Owen is everychild.” —Booklist (starred review)

Owen’s fuzzy yellow blanket goes where he goes, even when others think he is too old for it. Will Owen’s blanket go to school? A classic, evergreen, Caldecott Honor and Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor picture book about comfort and compromise from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kevin Henkes.

“Owen had a fuzzy yellow blanket. He’d had it since he was a baby. He loved it with all his heart.”

Owen’s blanket is his favorite possession. Everywhere he goes, Fuzzy goes with him. Upstairs, downstairs, in-between. Inside, outside, upside down. Everywhere! When Owen is about to start school, their neighbor offers advice to Owen’s parents about how to get rid of Fuzzy, but Owen foils each attempt. Then his mother comes up with the perfect plan that makes everyone happy.

Any child who relies on a comfort object will instantly relate to Owen. This is a story about compromise that speaks both to those not yet ready to let go and those who have moved on. The repetitive, rhythmic text is perfect for reading aloud and story times, and the artwork, in Owen and in all of Kevin Henkes’s mouse books, is playful, funny, inviting, and timeless. School Library Journal says, “Most children have a beloved possession that adults expect them to give up, and Owen is sure to become their champion.”

Kevin Henkes is a #1 New York Times bestselling author who has been awarded the Caldecott Medal for Kitten’s First Full Moon, two Caldecott Honors, two Newbery Honors, two Geisel Honors, the Children’s Literature Lecture Award, and Children’s Literature Legacy Award, among numerous other honors. Favorites from his body of work include the picture books Waiting, A Parade of Elephants, and The World and Everything In It, and the novels for middle grade readers Olive’s Ocean, Bird Lake Moon, and the Miller Family Stories.

Kevin Henkes’s classic and bestselling mouse books include:

Chester’s Way
Chrysanthemum
Julius, the Baby of the World
Lilly’s Big Day
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse
Owen
Sheila Rae, the Brave
Wemberly Worried
A Weekend with Wendell
Penny and Her Marble, Penny and Her Sled, Penny and Her Song, Penny and Her Doll (Level 1 I Can Reads)

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Reading age

2 - 6 years, from customers
Part of series

Caldecott Honor Book
Print length

32 pages
Language

English
Grade level

Preschool - 3
Dimensions

8.5 x 0.25 x 10 inches
Publisher

Greenwillow Books
Publication date

September 15, 1993
ISBN-10

0688114490
ISBN-13

978-0688114497

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From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The clinical name is transitional object, but for young children, a beloved blanket is more like a lifeline. And that's exactly how Owen feels about his baby blanket, fondly named Fuzzy. The Owen-Fuzzy relationship is cruising along smoothly until a nosy neighbor, Mrs. Tweezers, leans over the fence and asks his parents, "Isn't he getting a little old to be carrying that thing around?" With kindergarten just around the corner, Owen's parents wonder if he should in fact relinquish his prized Fuzzy. Kevin Henkes uses his signature mouse characters and jewel-tone watercolors to explore the antics and foils of one mouse-boy, one rag-blanket, and two parents wondering how to help their son kick the habit. This is what Henkes does best--playfully bringing childhood fears and feelings to the surface while portraying real-life parent-child tensions. Mrs. Tweezers, a real sourpuss, is no help at all. She offers terrible over-the-fence advice, such as dipping Fuzzy in vinegar (as if to cure a nail-biting habit) or stealing the blanket in the night.

It is not until the eve of Owen's first day of kindergarten that his mother hatches the perfect solution. Ultimately, she finds a way that Owen can hang on to his first true love while also taking the next step into middle childhood--a solution that suits everyone, including Mrs. Tweezers. Caldecott Honor Book, Horn Book Fanfare Honor List, ALA Notable Book, Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Book, School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, ALA Booklist Children's Editors' Choice. (Ages 3 and older) --Gail Hudson

From Kirkus Reviews

Owen loves his blanket ``with all his heart.'' ``Fuzzy'' goes where he goes and likes what he likes--``grape juice, chocolate milk...'' Leaning over the back fence, nosy Mrs. Tweezers ``fills his parents in'' on various cures for Owen's affection--the ``Blanket Fairy'' (Fuzzy survives safely inside Owen's pajama pants); the ``vinegar trick'' (Owen finds a new favorite corner to cuddle). Meanwhile, he continues to share every experience, real or fanciful, with his beloved rag until, when it's time to begin school, his understanding mother transforms Fuzzy into handkerchiefs that Owen can carry--and hang onto or politely touch to his nose--wherever he goes. Once again, Henkes's engaging characters are mice, depicted with wonderfully warm humor and subtlety; their gentle negotiations and perfectly tuned dialogue are entirely human. A delectably amusing look at a true first love. (Picture book. 3-6) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Greenwillow Books
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 15, 1993
Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0688114490
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0688114497
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 2 - 6 years, from customers
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 0.25 x 10 inches
Part of series ‏ : ‎ Caldecott Honor Book
Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 3
Best Sellers Rank: #17,336 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #69 in Children's Daily Activities Books
- #119 in Children's Mouse, Hamster, Guinea Pig & Squirrel Books
- #150 in Children's Pet Books (Books)
Customer Reviews:
(959)

About the author

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Kevin Henkes

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Kevin Henkes is the author and illustrator of close to fifty critically acclaimed and award-winning picture books, beginning readers, and novels. He received the Caldecott Medal for Kitten’s First Full Moon in 2005. Kevin Henkes is also the creator of a number of picture books featuring his mouse characters, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers Lilly’s Big Day and Wemberly Worried, the Caldecott Honor Book Owen, and the beloved Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. His most recent mouse character, Penny, was introduced in Penny and Her Song (2012); her story continued in Penny and Her Doll and Penny and Her Marble (a Geisel Honor Book). Bruce Handy, in a New York Times Book Review piece about A Good Day, wrote, “It should be said: Kevin Henkes is a genius.” Kevin Henkes received two Newbery Honors for novels—one for his newest novel for young readers, The Year of Billy Miller, and the other for Olive’s Ocean. Also among his fiction for older readers are the novels Junonia, Bird Lake Moon, The Birthday Room, and Sun & Spoon. He lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin. You can visit him online at www.kevinhenkes.com.

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Customer reviews

959 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers love this children's book, praising its sweet story and simple illustrations. They find it suitable for toddlers and make great gifts, with one customer noting it's perfect for kids who love their baby blankets. Customers appreciate the author Kevin Henkes and find the book funny to read aloud.

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105 customers mention content, 102 positive, 3 negative

Customers love this book, describing it as a wonderful children's book that came highly recommended.

Five StarsRead more

This is a great book, very similar to the author's other books. It has a cute message at the end too! Great pictures and vocabulary words.Read more

So, so, SO good. Love this book. Love Kevin Henkes....Read more

Good book!!Read more

42 customers mention story, 41 positive, 1 negative

Customers love this story, describing it as sweet and one of their children's favorites, with one customer noting that the plot is easy for young children to follow and relate to.

Sweet story, sweet illustrations. I need to be happy with both to really enjoy a book for my son, and this one is a winner!Read more

...You'll have to read it for yourself to find out. An adorable story and illustrations by Kevin Henkes....Read more

This is a great story I can't wait to read aloud! Kevin Henkes's illustrations are wonderful and detailed....Read more

...In this cute story, Owen the mouse - since infancy - has had a fuzzy yellow blanket as his constant companion... perhaps not AS fuzzy as it once was...Read more

25 customers mention suitability for children, 24 positive, 1 negative

Customers find the book suitable for children, particularly toddlers, and consider it a must-have for young readers. One customer mentions it's perfect for kids who love their baby blankets, while another notes it's great for the beginning of the school year.

Perfect gift for my new grandson who happens to be named Owen. This is a classic that I am sure he will keep for a lifetime.Read more

Great gift!Read more

A great book for young children, I highly recommend it, a favorite book in my familyRead more

Every kid needs this book....Read more

13 customers mention author, 13 positive, 0 negative

Customers love Kevin Henkes as an author, particularly for his children's books, with one customer specifically mentioning their enthusiasm for his namesake book.

Kevin Henkes is a great author and I purchase as many books of his as I can. He tells great stories and uses great characters.Read more

My grandson, Owen, will love his namesake book.Read more

Kevin Henkes is the best!Read more

So, so, SO good. Love this book. Love Kevin Henkes....Read more

12 customers mention illustrations, 12 positive, 0 negative

Customers appreciate the illustrations in the book, describing them as amazing, simple, and colorful.

...Wonderful, colorful illustrations.Read more

Sweet story, sweet illustrations. I need to be happy with both to really enjoy a book for my son, and this one is a winner!Read more

This is a colorful, easy to read, hardback book. Bought one many years ago for my daughters....Read more

...The writing is done well and the illustrations are great! I would reccommend this author highly.Read more

5 customers mention humor, 5 positive, 0 negative

Customers find the book humorous, with one mentioning it's a joy to read aloud.

...The first time I read it to her you could see her wheels spinning. It was funny!Read more

I feel like Kevin Henkes just gets kids. This story was funny and endearing, plus it also provides a practical solution for any kid who needs a...Read more

It is a joy reading Kevin Henkes' books to my grandkids. They love the stories and the illustrations, and I find the stories appealing as well....Read more

Classic story! Fun to read aloudRead more

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Owen: A Story About Letting Go of a Comfort Object (Caldecott Honor Book)

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