I Know How to Draw an Owl

by Hilary Horder Hippely, Matt James (illustrator)

Belle draws the best owl in class, but she doesn’t say why: she sees them in the park, where she and her mother sleep.

Belle and her mother used to have a house, a table, and chairs, a home like any of Belle’s classmates’. But things changed. Now, they curl up each night in a blanket nest in their old blue car, with their things packed in around them.

The first night was hard, but they’ve never been alone: their friend the owl has always been nearby, hooting in its tree, looking out for them. Belle longs to catch sight of it, and one night, she finally does. That’s how she learned to draw an owl.

No one knows that story. But when a new boy comes to school, a boy whose car looks like Belle’s, a boy who looks lost and scared, it’s Belle’s turn to watch over someone.

Hilary Horder Hippely’s soulful text pairs with Matt James’s atmospheric illustrations in a book all too relevant to the realities of many families. Neither flinching nor sensationalizing, I Know How to Draw an Owl is a deeply empathetic and age-appropriate portrayal of a family experiencing housing insecurity.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Birds, Childrens, Poverty, Family, School

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 29, 2024

Reviews

[Edie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful in illustrations and text, the young narrator shares, without sentimentality, how she can draw an owl so accurately. She and her mother now live in a car out in the woods and the owl has become her friend and protector. We are not expected to feel pity, just more compassion and understanding as she demonstrates to the new child who appears in class. This is definitely a classic and a book to be treasured.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such beautiful illustrations and a very touching story.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tender and touching story about an unhoused kid living in their car with their mom. She keeps her situation a secret, but expresses herself during art class. When she sees another kid in a similar situation, she helps them to feel less alone.

[Liese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Understated and moving. One gets a sense of the web of life via the owl, plus our young unhoused protagonist making choices to be part of the web that gives an even younger unhoused kid a place to belong at school. The introduction by the author, an elementary teacher, is respectful and compassionate. Best in class in picture books on unhoused folks.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a book I want to read to my elementary students. Many powerful conversations can come from this book.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unforgettable

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not at all what I expected based on the title, but the title is more beautiful and meaningful because of the real story.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't let this book's title and cover fool you into thinking that you know what it's about. More than likely, your assumptions will be incorrect. When Belle's teacher, Ms. Rio demonstrates how to draw an owl, Belle's work is extraordinarily realistic, and the teacher holds it up as an example. The secret to Belle's ability to draw the owl so accurately is revealed to readers as she walks home. For reasons that aren't revealed, she and her mother are living in their blue car in the woods, where she's heard the owl hoot, and on one memorable night, watched in awe as he swooped down from the trees. Belle feels as though they share something special and that he's watching over her. Similarly, when a new boy arrives at school, Belle can tell that they, too, have something in common, and she reaches out to him, ready to befriend him just as the owl seems to have befriended her. While the text is understated, and Belle's homelessness matter of fact, with no attempt at producing pity in readers, the acrylic illustrations are simply stunning. Several double-page spreads showing her drawing, the owl in all its splendor, and one with Belle and her mother driving the car somewhere, surrounded by a fiery sky and with parts of their possessions, including dishes, dishwashing detergent, and a stuffed toy, stashed in the back seat, are particularly memorable. Educators might want to use this picture book in a unit on homelessness or when introducing the novel, How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor.

[Elayne Crain · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Belle's class works on their owl-drawing, they are astonished at Belle's owl's liveliness and exceptionally wise eyes. But when they ask her how she did it, Belle just shrugs (while conspiratorially sharing with the reader, via first-person narration, “I know, but I don’t want to tell.”)

In "I Know How to Draw an Owl" by Hilary Horder Hippley and Matt James, housing insecurity is just one of many unexpected layers in a story unpacking how a school girl knows how to draw an owl so well.

The first step to drawing anything, of course, is to notice. So it's fitting that this story of not wanting to discuss something hard still brims with emotional and visual details for its readers. Weaving in and out of wordless and introspective spreads, we find that Belle and her mother live in their car in a wooded park. As we join Belle in recalling their first night there, we learn that Belle has trouble finding sleep--and the nearby hooting of an owl doesn't initially help. Slowly, though, Belle begins to feel seen and watched over by her cautious new neighbor. Finally, one magical night, the owl eventually comes in for a visit with Belle, and she feels as if the owl has said, "I'm glad you're here. I like sharing my home with you."

That safe and welcoming feeling from the park's owl frees Belle to extend her own welcome when, not unlike the owl, she spies someone new and interesting--and maybe in need of a friend.

It's a lovely and affecting book, unflinching and yet lit with hope, beauty, and owl-fueled wonder.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked thus up this morning at the library because I liked illustrator Matt James's cover and because it is yet again a book that has me in this sorta random rabbit hole, or rather owl hole. I love the title. And it is about drawing owls, but in the book we find out how it is Belle knows how to draw owls so well: She's homeless, living out of a car with her mom, in the woods, near an owl she visits each night.

And she won't tell the class why it is she can draw them so well, but because she has become so vulnerable by her situation, she realizes it is she that has to welcome the frightened new kid to class. There is some myth about the homeless/refugees/immigrants that they are generally criminals. Some folks fear them, but I think it may be that some folks fear they may become them. There's a kind of shaming and blaming that is shameful, I think. This book can help introduce kids to the concept of economic instability and poverty and homelessness in general.

I have been teaching for many decades, middle, high school, college, university, grad school, and at every level there have been homeless students. The threat of deportation of millions based on some myth of crime rates will not help. But teaching empathy in schools and religious institutions and homes may help.

[Morgan the Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so beautiful. The art was just breathtaking at times and the story felt so calm. This showed children living in different family situations and experiencing upheaval in their lives while displaced from traditional housing. The main character, Belle, explains her feelings as well as shows empathy to a new friend who she suspects may live in similar circumstances as her.

This will be an important book to children who have lived in similar situations and need a story to show experiences like theirs. It also invites other readers who perhaps haven't experienced this theirselves to understand and feel empathy for Belle and her family.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Belle's teacher leads them in drawing owls. She encourages them to do their best from what they have seen in books. Belle does not need a book as she had a firsthand experience with an owl while in her family car at the local park. She does not want to tell anyone, though, as homelessness is hard to share. Her teacher is amazed and acknowledges that in class when she sees Belle's art. The full page spreads show the heart of the story as acceptance of yourself, your family, and your heart. Belle shares her heart in a beautiful way at the end of the story. This book needs to be in all collections that service children. Homelessness happens and should be reflected in stories we share.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Belle's class is drawing owls, and she's so good at it that her teacher holds hers up to show the rest of the class. Belle doesn't want to explain why she's so good at drawing owls. It's because she and her mom live in their old blue car, and she sees owls up close in the park where they stay. I liked that this book didn't focus on becoming unhoused or moving to a shelter or a new home. While their living situation sucks, she gets to experience something that others do not, seeing a nocturnal animal up close. I do wish the full owl illustration wasn't only on the cover art underneath the dust jacket.

[Martha Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh! This is lovely. A book about a chld experiencing homelessness that is also about the immense comfort and groundedness we get from experiencing nature up close and personal. And how that experience can give us strenth and confidence in the midst of whatever life hurls at us. Matt James' art is evocative and powerful. I too have had an experience of seeing and then more often hearing the Great Horned Owl in my local park; always when we pass the place we saw the owl, I remember that time, often reminding myself to look and listen.

[Brittany · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was supposed to be about homelessness...it didn't quite hit the mark. The entire story just felt awkward, like we were not really addressing the issue at hand. I don't think that younger children will understand it. They may have similar experiences (homelessness, living in their car, etc.) but this book doesn't do it all justice and explain it well enough. The illustrations are nice (slightly dark and scary with the BIG owl eyes).

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tender story about a young girl who is experiencing homelessness and sleeping in the car with her mother every night in the park, where she watches the owls. When a new boys moves in to her class, she recognizes the signs of another person who is experiencing the same things she is and quickly befriends him.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good telling of a story about a homeless mother and child living in their car while the child attends school. We all need to understand various circumstances people find themselves in. The illustrations depict the story line well as in one we see the interior of the car stuffed with dishes, lemon dish soap and the eyes and ears of a teddy bear peeking above the blanket. Powerful image.
While I am an avid bird watcher, I don’t quite understand the idea of the owl watching over the child.

[Christie Kaaland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why is Ella so good at drawing owls? Readers learn the secret in this bittersweet story of a young girl who lives with her mother in her car and whose mother is positive and upbeat showing her all the wonderful advantages of seeing wildlife at night from their car. The artwork in this title is stunning, and of particularly powerful imagery is Ella's owl.

[Elaine Fultz, Teacher Librarian, MLS · Rating 5 out of 5]

An art class owl drawing story turns quickly into a homeless child story which is tender and wise. The child and their mother sleep in a park where the child comes face-to-face with an owl (in a very Owl Moon-like page turn). Back to school where MC sees a new boy emerging from a cramped-with-everything car, and she takes his hand to show camaraderie.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

A girl draws a picture of an owl that her teacher praises. She doesn’t want to tell how she could draw such a life-like owl but shows the reader. She and her mom are sleeping in their car in the woods where a hoot owl keeps watch over her. When a new student arrives at school, she decides to watch over him.

[Tina Hoggatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Empathetic story of a child who has learned how to draw an owl from living in her car with her mother and seeing the owl nearby - a secret, like where she lives is a secret. Her story is told in first person and sparely. Her experience leads her to help another child who is homeless and comes to her classroom. Beautiful. Wonderful illustrations by Matt James.

[Melanie H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

When her class is instructed to draw owls, Belle's owl had the best eyes. How did she know how to draw owl eyes so well? Belle and her mother live in their car and Belle communes with an owl each night in the forest. When another child experiencing houselessness arrives at school, Belle takes him under her wing to look out for him.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

A girl is able draw an owl an school, because she is homeless and shares a park with an owl. When another homeless child joins her class she helps him to learn his way around and watch over him like she imagines the owl has for her.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author went to Cornell, so I'm uncertain that she knows what it's like to be so poor that you have to live in your car. This book kind of struck me as odd and out of touch with such a serious subject matter.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A homeless girl learns how to adapt to her circumstances and share her hard-earned wisdom with others in creative and compassionate ways. Engaging illustrations show how nature can be our best friend and sage, teaching us how to offer the shelter of our own hearts to those in need.

[Luz F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving story. This book had my child asking questions and led to important conversations about differences in economic status and also how to show up for a friend. The illustrations are also stunning.

[Lexi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the owl concept but there was nothing really said about being homeless. I felt like this could have been a good representation for families struggling

[Rob McGrory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Touching story about a little girl and her homeless scenario along with a relationship with an owl in the park.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this started off well conceptually; however, I wish that it would have addressed homelessness with more intention and clarity.

[Dylan Stoepel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such gorgeous illustrations...great use of darkness. Wonderful story told in just the right amount of words.