Under the Blanket Sky

by Tim Fischer

An extraordinary debut picture book about a boy and his unusual friend--a majestic owl--and a long yet fleeting summer that changes them forever.

A lonely young boy is visited by a mysterious owl one sunny morning, forming an instant bond and a sense of belonging. What follows is a memorable summer full of playful adventures and shared, quiet joy. But when the owl must eventually continue his journey onward, the boy and the reader are left to reflect on the bittersweet nature of the passing of time, ultimately finding comfort in the remembrance of those who have passed through our lives and changed us forever.

In the spirit of The Velveteen Rabbit and Robert Frost's poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay," here is a heartfelt and luminously illustrated story about friendship and eternal love.

This stunning and unique book--which feels instantly both new and classic--is sure to spark beautiful conversations as families share it together. It embraces the inevitability of having to say goodbye and celebrates the stillness of ordinary places and the shimmering beauty that can be found there should we take the time to wait and listen.

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, Childrens, Summer, Fiction, Birds, Fantasy

40 pages, Hardcover

Published May 30, 2023

Reviews

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in love with the artwork in this book. The way the owl radiates off the pages, the feathers, all the adventures of summer shared (with pure imagination as the fuel), the child/friend connection is heartwarming and captures this span of time in a lovely way. It reminded me of my own childhood. Though I wish I had an owl. A spectacular story of friendship unlike any other I’ve read. After I opened my bookmail, I read it two times in a row, soaking in the details, the fridge in the garage, the feel of the book, the words. Delightful! I’ll watching for more from this author.

[Sarah BT · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need to think about this for awhile. This is a book that I just need to sit with and take in. It's a beautiful story of friendship and letting go. The art is gorgeous and the wordless full page spreads are places to stop and pause and take in the moment. It has a very dreamlike feel to it. The text and art together are a meditation on love, loss, appreciating the time you have. I love the line "we can have even more tomorrows just like today."

[Andrea W · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those magical picture books that should be shared again and again with children and caregivers of all ages. A gentle, calm yet dazzling book to add to any bedtime routine.

An unlikely childhood friend flies in for the summer and brings with it wonder and delight and a bit of sorrow at its retreat. Incredible artwork lovingly recreates a child’s spectacular summertime filled with brush strokes both detailed and dreamlike, bright bursts and dappled shade, and a bounty of full balmy spreads meditating on the joys just waiting within children’s imagination.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a purist hands on reader when it comes to reading picture books, however this morning I choose to read one on my IPhone and with the beautiful illustrations it was a great read in this format. My phone could not see the entire page at one time, but allowed me to up close seeing all the objects within the illustrations. Each painting illustration intensely portrayed the 1950’s right down to how the young boy was dressed in jeans and a white t-shirt. And the imaginary friend who was a bird, imaginary friends were a part of the 50s childhood. I like the dim light and dark shadows in the illustrations as looking back on life is many times shrouded in the mists of time. Excellent title for evoking lots of memories. Would be great to present to adults and especially those in assisted living to promote conversations of times past.
Looking forward to seeing more of Tim Fischer’s art work.

Thanks Random House for taking a chance on this title.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

One summer morning, a boy meets a wonderful Owl-like creature, as big as he. He's delighted when it agrees to be friends and stay for awhile.

Sometimes illustrations are more magnificent than a photograph could ever be. Such are Tim Fischer's in Under the Blanker Sky. Several 2 page spreads of wordless scenes of play, tell more than words could say. I felt nostalgic, remembering summers of my youth. Parent's will love this, children will enjoy the story of a magical relationship of a boy and his summertime friend.

cross posted to http://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com

[Jessalynn McCoin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn’t quite sure what to think of this one when it started, but I quickly learned it a book about friendship and loss. It’s a beautifully illustrated book that follows a boy’s magical summer and his imaginary friend.
I definitely feel this one won’t fly off the library shelves and that is more of a grown-up story written for kids, it has its place as a reminder that those that we love truly never leave. I’m not sure I’ll purchase it with my limited library funding, but I’m also not sure I won’t.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

It will be hard for most adults to read this lovely story--3.5 for me--without thinking about the wondrous summers of their own childhoods when those leisurely days seemed to stretch out forever, filled with all sorts of possibilities. Gently told through the lens of a young boy, the plot concerns a chance encounter between the boy and an owl. The two become friends, and the boy shares all his favorite activities and adventures with the bird over the long summer days. But all good things must come to an end, and eventually as the temperatures start to drop, the owl leaves and the boy prepares for the start of a new school year. Presumably, both have been changed by the time they've spent together and the love they have for one another. Readers are likely to hope that this experience and this special bond will stay with the boy as he faces life's challenges. The book features several wordless double-page spreads depicting the time the two spend together. This is one of those picture books that bring out various emotions--feelings that are hard to put into words but are stamped in the heart. What is clear is that this relationship, brief though it was, mattered, and neither boy nor owl will be the same. The story reminded me of the fleetingness of life and relationships and how chance encounters can change us.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

🤍 I think that all children's picture and board books are works of art, but some truly stand out with their spectacular illustrations. Under The Blanket Sky is one of them. 🤍

By Tim Fischer, Under The Blanket Sky is about friendship, love and loss. This debut book is extraordinary in its gentle reflection on the passage of time and memories we hold with us forever.

TELL ME MORE:
The boy and his (adorable) owl spend a summer side by side, best of friends doing everything together. Until one day the owl knows it's time for him to move on. Though they continue apart from their beautiful friendship, they hold each other and keep their memories waiting for the time they can be together again.

RATING: ❤️❤️❤️ 3/3
AGES: 4-8

This kind of felt like a Pixar movie in book form. It was sweet and heartwarming story that is already a classic in our house.

✨ Great book for transitional periods in your little ones life.

ABSOLUTELY recommend checking it out and big thank you to @penguinkids for this gifted copy!

[Silvia Acevedo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lonely boy is visited by a mysterious owl (perhaps imaginary?) who spends summer with him enjoying playful adventures before it must eventually move on.

This quiet, gentle book feels like a hug to lonely kids everywhere, or maybe to kids who find themselves alone at important moments and wish they had a forever friend to share them with. I was touched by the unspoken themes of time, friendship, and bittersweet goodbyes, leaving me a little breathless afterward. The illustrations are soft, ephemeral, luminescent. And another thing I loved about it: the boy wears glasses. I know it seems small, but there aren’t enough books with kids who wear glasses, and it is so affirming for kids to read about others like them. This picture book is simply lovely. An Amazon Editors’ Pick. A new classic. Recommended.

[Shelbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful, heartfelt, earnest story! This has to be one of my favorites I read to the kids all year. I will say, though, that kindergarteners might have been not the best age group. They really loved the story, but not all of them were capable of connecting with the art. That is partly my fault for not reading it to the 1st graders instead. I, as an adult, however am blown away and stunned by the beautiful art. Several of the kids did really connect with it too. I even had a kid say it was the most beautiful book they'd seen. The story is also very real and connects with the reader. It teaches lessons about how a friendship with a time limit doesn't make it less real. It doesn't mean the love isn't there and can't reach out over distances. I love that it teaches that friendship finds a way in the end. Also, who doesn't want to be besties with a huge fluffy owl?

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the story of the boy's friendship with the owl, I found the illustrations, although well-composed, unnecessarily dark, with very muted colors--mostly browns, grays, and dark blues. The owl is a feathery bundle, so it is impossible to figure out which species it is supposed to be, but definitely not a Great Horned Owl, Snowy Owl, or Barn Owl. And the boy's owl friend is a single, muted color, while most owls have bars and streaks of some kind. I also checked to see if owls migrate, like this one is apparently doing at the end of summer. Most owls stay in one territory, but a very few migrate, if even a few miles, for food-related reasons. Otherwise, this is a nice fantasy of animal friendship.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written and illustrated by Tim Fischer, Under the Blanket Sky tells the story of an unusual creature entering the world of a young boy. Much of the book is wordless as it shows the two friends enjoying each other's company through the day. The book reminds the reader to make the most of the time we have together and that those that pass through our lives will leave a lasting impression.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book gave me goosebumps. A story of a creature/animal's friendship with a boy. The love the two have for each other can be seen on each page, some more than others. This was one I just came across as I was putting away books at my library job. The cover called to me. No big agendas in the story just friendship and love. The writing is very lyrical and peaceful. Well done naptime or bedtime read.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book. The artwork appears to be procreate or some software like that. It really is beauitful.

This is a story about an imaginary friend for the summer. This unusual creature shows up at the beginning of summer at leaves right before school starts. That's my take on the story.

The story is well told. The words in this book create a type of magic.

I would be interested to hear what kids think of it.

[Vanessa Sánchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book are STUNNING. So beautiful! I also appreciate how this book has some pages that are left blank so that students/children can have a discussion about what is happening and develop their own narrative. Could definitely lead to conversations about love, friendship, and even loss and how to handle grief.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stirring, and touching, in images throughout, this is a bit of a hybrid wordless book and bedtime story. The relationship between the boy and a remarkably unique character that's a blend of owlet, friendly giant, and imaginary friend. In many ways it is a sort of embodiment of summer, was lived by a loved-but-lonely boy. Much to love about this gentle story.

[Sarah C. W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illuminated book about two friends that have one summer together. The illustrations were soft and nostalgic.

A great children's book for kids who have a hard time at the end of a good day, or summer. Even for kids who have lost a loved one. To help illustration how memories of a loved one can stay with them even if the person is no longer there.

[Connie T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

One summer morning a giant, puffy, talking owl befriends a young boy. They become the best of friends and enjoy many days together. However, when fall arrives the owl has to leave, making them both sad.

This imaginative picture book is beautifully illustrated. The muted colors and soft edges add to the fantasy element. If David Almond wrote a picture book, this is what I'd imagine it to be.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Were it not for the author's gorgeous illustrations, I would have given it a 3. I felt sad at the end, and not so much that the friend had left, but I felt something important was missing from the story. It did leave me with that nostalgic longing for childhood's summertime. Maybe that was the point.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the presence of magical realism brought by the fluffy, blue bird. The story was okay. The illustration is so soft, so gentle, in its beauty. If there were prints available, I would consider buying one for display.

[Bel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What glorious art! What a fantastic story. A really lovely debut picture book.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get the tissues ready!! This is such a beautifully illustrated book about friendships. Found in L4L Volume 73.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly lovely book with many layers (social emotional learning) and stunning illustrations. Loved it!

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art work is amazing

[Y.Poston]

a delightful tale of a comforting friend
just before change comes

[Syntha Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
A boy makes a new friend under the blanket sky of early summer and they grow to love each other until the new friend must leave. Soft illustrations make this book a dream.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

B E A U T I F U L

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowza!
What a beautiful and evocative picture book about magical summers, imagination and the innocence of childhood. A real treasure.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

a boy befriends an owl and the two are inseparable over the summer. Elementary and up