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Little Books
Little Hoot
It's not fair! All Little Owl wants is to go to bed at a reasonable hour, like his friends do. But no . . . Mama and Papa say little owls have to stay up late and play. So Little Owl spends all night jumping on his bed, playing on the jungle gym, and doing tricks on his skateboard—but he's hooting mad about it! Children who have a hard time going to bed will love this fun twist on the universal dilemma.
36 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2007
20 people are currently reading
1137 people want to read
About the author
Amy Krouse Rosenthal
88 books1,094 followersSHORT BIO:
Amy Krouse Rosenthal was.
She divided her time.
NOT SO SHORT BIO:
Amy Krouse Rosenthal was a person who liked to make things.
Some things she liked to make include:
Children's books. (Little Pea, Spoon, DuckRabbit)
Grown-up books. (Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life)
Short films. (The Beckoning of Lovely, The Money Tree)
Guided journals. (The Belly Book)
Something out of nothing. (see above)
A longtime contributor to WBEZ and to the TED conference,
Amy lived with her family in Chicago and online at whoisamy.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 374 reviews
March 17, 2017
This is a cute, funny story about how an owl wants to go to bed early and not stay up late.
September 27, 2020
This was surprisingly disappointing. I've read the other two books in the series (
Little Pea
and
Little Oink
) and thought they were really cute. I can usually turn to Amy Krouse Rosenthal's books for some solid writing and storytelling. For some reason, though, this book was riddled with nonsensical dialogue tags and extra letters and punctuation that come across as way too casual for a published book. (Yes, I know we're dealing with an owl. He hoots. I get it. But I don't get the need for fourteen exclamation points on the end of one sentence.)
The illustrations are cute (I like Little Hoot's hooded sweatshirt) but they're not quite as engaging as those in Little Oink. And the story seemed like it was over so quickly in this one. Little Hoot's parents say he has to stay up for one more hour and play before he's allowed to go to bed. So the young owl occupies himself for the required number of minutes and then goes to bed. I get the schtick... but it doesn't seem to work as well here as it did in the other books.
Overall, I'd probably only recommend this if it were given with the other two books. As part of a set, it works. On its own, it's a little weak.
The illustrations are cute (I like Little Hoot's hooded sweatshirt) but they're not quite as engaging as those in Little Oink. And the story seemed like it was over so quickly in this one. Little Hoot's parents say he has to stay up for one more hour and play before he's allowed to go to bed. So the young owl occupies himself for the required number of minutes and then goes to bed. I get the schtick... but it doesn't seem to work as well here as it did in the other books.
Overall, I'd probably only recommend this if it were given with the other two books. As part of a set, it works. On its own, it's a little weak.
March 15, 2017
Adorable. The illustration of the daddy owl and his coffee pot always makes me grin.
March 29, 2017
This book had the cutest pictures and Dad explained to me that it's funny because usually little kids want to stay up late and parents want them to go to bed, but Little Hoot wants to go to bed and his parents want him to stay up. (Once I am wise to the ways of the world, I will understand jokes better.) -M
January 11, 2008
Here's how a normal day is for Little Hoot. Like most owls he goes to school, plays with his friends, and practices his pondering and staring. That's fine. He's fond of all of that. What he doesn't like, however, is bedtime. Every night Little Hoot wants to go to bed at a reasonable hour like his other non-owl friends, and every night it's the same story. "If you want to grow up to be a wise owl, you must stay up late." On this particular night Little Hoot begs to go to bed but his mom lets him know in no uncertain terms that he must stay up one whole hour before she'll let him sleep. Finally, after counting down the last ten minutes of play, Little Hoot is allowed to go to bed. And before his mother and father can engage him in a drink of water or a bedtime story, "Little Hoot was already fast asleep."
The craziest thing about "Little Hoot", and I don't know why I was so surprised by this, was that it actually made me crave sleep. By having a protagonist who's sole goal in this story is to bed down for the night you, the reader, really feel for him. Boy, that bed really does look comfy doesn't it? Author Amy Krouse Rosenthal's tone in this tale is pitch perfect. She twists the reader's expectations perfectly so that child readers may find themselves utterly baffled on a first reading of this tale. They may even be baffled on a second or third re-reading. Eventually, though, I have faith that the young `uns will catch on and find Rosenthal's new take on an old childhood complaint a lot of fun to play with. The dialogue works pretty effectively as well. "Ten more minutes of playing, Mister. And please don't ask me again," will ring true, if slightly skewed, in more than a few ears. I also loved how Little Hoot's ways of keeping awake involved the activities that kids partake of when they themselves are trying to keep from falling asleep. Playing with "swords", building forts, jumping on the bed, that sort of thing.
Here's the deal with illustrator Jen Corace... uh... she's awesome. Not very descriptive but whatcha gonna do? Maybe it's her design background and alternative feel, but when Corace illustrates a book, that book has done been illustrated, consarn it. Look at the endpapers of "Little Hoot" for a start. There is a leafy theme to this book. Little Hoot's bed is a mix of leaves and branches. His toys are sticks. And the endpapers are a subtle and lovely burnt umber backdrop with light orange leaf outlines and a sole motion line zooming about the pages for kicks. The illustrations within the book are also filled with small details that will reward adult readers (a kindness to those parents who will hopefully get to read this book over and over for a fifty-fifth time). There is the owl teacher who is covering the words Who, Whom, and Whose. There is Little Hoot's father, brewing himself a stiff pot of coffee for the long night ahead. There is the leaf/branch inspired furniture in the home, a mouse patterned blanket (would that be the equivalent of a human blanket with a pattern of cheese sandwiches?), and Little Hoot's stuffed animal toy. And like Rosenthal and Corace's previous book "Little Pea" there is a final page where the sleeping Little Hoot is seen in FIG. 1 ("snooze"), FIG. 2 ("snore") and FIG. 3 ("drool").
So let's hold this book up to the light and give it a final glance and a gander. It's beautiful from a design standpoint, and yet its child-friendly pictures and adorable characters will appeal to all readers. It has a smart story and a fun plot but at the same time the author has written a bedtime tale that will partake of the old reverse psychology technique and maybe even get some kids to WANT to go to sleep. It is funny. It is memorable. I say we have a winner. Though it bears some definite similarities to a previous Rosenthal/Corace creation, "Little Hoot" will charm you on the basis of its own merits alone. Highly recommended.
The craziest thing about "Little Hoot", and I don't know why I was so surprised by this, was that it actually made me crave sleep. By having a protagonist who's sole goal in this story is to bed down for the night you, the reader, really feel for him. Boy, that bed really does look comfy doesn't it? Author Amy Krouse Rosenthal's tone in this tale is pitch perfect. She twists the reader's expectations perfectly so that child readers may find themselves utterly baffled on a first reading of this tale. They may even be baffled on a second or third re-reading. Eventually, though, I have faith that the young `uns will catch on and find Rosenthal's new take on an old childhood complaint a lot of fun to play with. The dialogue works pretty effectively as well. "Ten more minutes of playing, Mister. And please don't ask me again," will ring true, if slightly skewed, in more than a few ears. I also loved how Little Hoot's ways of keeping awake involved the activities that kids partake of when they themselves are trying to keep from falling asleep. Playing with "swords", building forts, jumping on the bed, that sort of thing.
Here's the deal with illustrator Jen Corace... uh... she's awesome. Not very descriptive but whatcha gonna do? Maybe it's her design background and alternative feel, but when Corace illustrates a book, that book has done been illustrated, consarn it. Look at the endpapers of "Little Hoot" for a start. There is a leafy theme to this book. Little Hoot's bed is a mix of leaves and branches. His toys are sticks. And the endpapers are a subtle and lovely burnt umber backdrop with light orange leaf outlines and a sole motion line zooming about the pages for kicks. The illustrations within the book are also filled with small details that will reward adult readers (a kindness to those parents who will hopefully get to read this book over and over for a fifty-fifth time). There is the owl teacher who is covering the words Who, Whom, and Whose. There is Little Hoot's father, brewing himself a stiff pot of coffee for the long night ahead. There is the leaf/branch inspired furniture in the home, a mouse patterned blanket (would that be the equivalent of a human blanket with a pattern of cheese sandwiches?), and Little Hoot's stuffed animal toy. And like Rosenthal and Corace's previous book "Little Pea" there is a final page where the sleeping Little Hoot is seen in FIG. 1 ("snooze"), FIG. 2 ("snore") and FIG. 3 ("drool").
So let's hold this book up to the light and give it a final glance and a gander. It's beautiful from a design standpoint, and yet its child-friendly pictures and adorable characters will appeal to all readers. It has a smart story and a fun plot but at the same time the author has written a bedtime tale that will partake of the old reverse psychology technique and maybe even get some kids to WANT to go to sleep. It is funny. It is memorable. I say we have a winner. Though it bears some definite similarities to a previous Rosenthal/Corace creation, "Little Hoot" will charm you on the basis of its own merits alone. Highly recommended.
Read
April 28, 2013I'm working on creating a booklist for my local public library. This book was one in consideration for this list.
This book had very little to offer in the way of a moral. It mostly seems to be a slice of life about Little Hoot hating bedtime because it was so late. It was completely adorable, with beautiful illustrations and the cutest story. But as far as giving a lesson on manners, it does not fit the bill.
However, I highly recommend it for a storytime, class project or something else, because it's just about the cutest thing, the most adorable storyline, I've seen for quite some time.
This book had very little to offer in the way of a moral. It mostly seems to be a slice of life about Little Hoot hating bedtime because it was so late. It was completely adorable, with beautiful illustrations and the cutest story. But as far as giving a lesson on manners, it does not fit the bill.
However, I highly recommend it for a storytime, class project or something else, because it's just about the cutest thing, the most adorable storyline, I've seen for quite some time.
December 29, 2017
Cute story of a little owl begging to go to bed early and the parents trying to keep him up with excuses children often use to stay up. Made me smile.
January 29, 2016
I read this book after Little Oink and liked it even more than that one! (On to Little Pea next!) Rosenthal weaves owl words (all kinds of who-ing, give a hoot, etc) and behaviors (staring, staying up late) into the story in a very understated way. There is a lot to unpack in the illustrations, and just enough complex vocabulary (e.g. ponder) introduced to make it palatable and digestible. Similar to the other books in the series, the twist is that Little Hoot begs to be allowed to go to bed, but her parents say that she must stay up late! Reminded me some of her Bedtime for Mommy too, with the twist on the bedtime routine.
July 19, 2009
So cute! And a "hoot" indeed! I love the clever "reversal" in this story--Little Hoot WANTS to go to bed early, the same as all his friends--it is so boring and frustrating to have to stay up late and keep on playing! Just as in "Little Pea" Rosenthal turns a child's typical "argument" upside-down and her protagonist argues for the thing the children usually argue against. Delightful illustrations, too.
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November 30, 2009Clever example of reverse psychology as a storyline. This book would be great for pre K-1st grade. Little Hoot is an owl that does not want to stay up late like most owls. His parents make him because that is what little owls must do. The illustrations are adorable with crisp design. I wish I could illustrate like this author. Children will fall in love with the little Hoot and the story is a great discussion starter about nighttime rountines
July 22, 2019
Little Hoot's non-owl friends can go to bed as early as they want, but when you're an owl, you have to stay up late, late, late.
When my now-elementary-aged kids were in preschool, Little Hoot and the other two books in the trio of topsy-turvy morality tales were a nightly staple. The wacky conflict and the detailed illustrations of a mistreated little owl (forced to stay up late and play!) make this a book we still read today.
When my now-elementary-aged kids were in preschool, Little Hoot and the other two books in the trio of topsy-turvy morality tales were a nightly staple. The wacky conflict and the detailed illustrations of a mistreated little owl (forced to stay up late and play!) make this a book we still read today.
September 14, 2016
The story Little Hoot by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Jen Corace teaches you a why you should appreciate Bedtime. Little Owl liked many things except one thing...Bedtime. I like this book because it teached my brother a lesson and the lesson was to appreciate what you have because others may not have what you have. I would recommend this book to kids that sleep late so they sleep early.
October 3, 2022
"Ja sitä paitsi en välitä pätkääkään siitä, mihin aikaan ystäväsi menevät nukkumaan. Tämä on meidän perhe, ja meillä mennään myöhään nukkumaan. Täällä noudatetaan pöllön pesän sääntöjä."
Amy Krouse Rosenthalin "Huuku Huuhkaja" (Vaukirja, 2012) ottaa hauskan tulokulman tuttuun aiheeseen eli nukkumaanmenon sietämättömään vaikeuteen. Jen Coracen kuvitus on viehättävää.
Amy Krouse Rosenthalin "Huuku Huuhkaja" (Vaukirja, 2012) ottaa hauskan tulokulman tuttuun aiheeseen eli nukkumaanmenon sietämättömään vaikeuteen. Jen Coracen kuvitus on viehättävää.
July 23, 2008
I love this book so much I want to have it's little book babies. Little Hoot would like to go to bed at a reasonable hour, but his parents say that good little owls MUST stay up late and play. The pictures are just scrumptious and adorable!
April 12, 2011
I picked this up while reshelving in the childrens room of our library, and I just fell in love. I mean, of all those years, how many of us wanted to stay up late? This litte guy just wants to sleep--stands against the crowd. He's my hero!
July 12, 2016
Cute bit of reverse psychology for little children. My toddlers love these books. They amuse me as an adult. And since I have to read the over and over at bedtime, I don't mind them counting toward my yearly reading goal.
February 17, 2017
This is such a sweet little book! It is perfect for bed time, and the lovely pictures really enrich the story! My three-year-old owl lover was very happy reading this tonight. I am sure we will be reading it nightly from here on out!
March 2, 2009
This is the prettiest book about an owl I have ever seen.
July 31, 2019
Turns the time-to-go-bed stall on its head.
November 16, 2009
This cute book illustrates an adorable view of bedtimes..in the opposite sense. Its a great opposite story and an even better bedtime story for little hoots...:)
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December 24, 2015YEAH IM PUTTING CHILDRENS BOOKS ON HERE TRY N STOP ME
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March 11, 2024Adorable!
Read
March 11, 2018A second book in this series, this time about a little owl who wants to go to be early, but his parents insist that he stay up late like a proper night owl.
July 18, 2017
Little Pea, Little Hoot and Little Oink -I read these three adorkable children's books yesterday which adopt the reverse psychology on kids, if it can be called that.
There is a common setup for all the stories. These little ones live with their Mama and Papa, they hate doing something that is expected of them (also, forced on them by their parents) AND love something that kids, more often than not, are stereotyped to hate.
Little Hoot hates to wait for bedtime.
Little Oink hates mess up time.
Little Oink spends his play time by tidying his Tree house! :D Such a dork!
Little Pea is where it all started.
Little Pea hates to eat candy for dinner every night.
But inspite of all the whining, Little Pea would eat Candy every night because he/she loves dessert, SPINACH! (I never understood the deal behind slyly making kids eat Spinach. Ahem. Popeye.)
To end, I think this is a very interesting way to introduce younger readers to reading, of course, but also to voice their opinions, to let them know that it's okay to like something everyone around them might hate and to hold on to what they love inspite of what anyone might have to say about it.
Note: I haven't considered the being a parent side of this yet. Spare my freedom, parents! Let me be the cool aunt.
There is a common setup for all the stories. These little ones live with their Mama and Papa, they hate doing something that is expected of them (also, forced on them by their parents) AND love something that kids, more often than not, are stereotyped to hate.
Little Hoot hates to wait for bedtime.
“All my other friends get to go to bed so much earlier than me!
Why do I always have to stay up and play? It’s not fair!”
"If you want to grow up to be a wise owl, you must stay up late,”
said Papa Owl.
Little Oink hates mess up time.
“All my friends get to clean their rooms.
Why can’t I?” asked Little Oink.
“If you want to grow up to be a respectable pig, you must learn how to make a proper mess,” said Papa Pig.
Little Oink spends his play time by tidying his Tree house! :D Such a dork!
Little Pea is where it all started.
Little Pea hates to eat candy for dinner every night.
“If you want to grow up to be a big, strong pea, you have to eat your candy,” Papa Pea would say.
“If you don’t finish your candy then you can’t have dessert,” Mama Pea would say.
But inspite of all the whining, Little Pea would eat Candy every night because he/she loves dessert, SPINACH! (I never understood the deal behind slyly making kids eat Spinach. Ahem. Popeye.)
To end, I think this is a very interesting way to introduce younger readers to reading, of course, but also to voice their opinions, to let them know that it's okay to like something everyone around them might hate and to hold on to what they love inspite of what anyone might have to say about it.
Note: I haven't considered the being a parent side of this yet. Spare my freedom, parents! Let me be the cool aunt.
May 1, 2014
Little Hoot by Amy Krouse Rosenthal is a picture book for ages three and up. This story is about an owl that wants to go to bed early like his other friends, who are not owls. His parents make him stay up late because he is an owl.
This is a very interesting twist on bedtime. I think it would be a wonderful book to open discussion on bedtime or naptime schedules. The book does have a few puns and slight humor. I don’t think either was very fun but they were not “bad” jokes. This story can also be a great opening book for a topic on nocturnal animals. I really did enjoy the story and the illustrations. I think it is wonderful when stories step a little bit outside of the box and use animals like owls. I believe it really does start the exploration of many new animals, instead of the standard, cat, dog or rabbit stories. One of things I really notices is at the end when the little owl say “When I grow up, I’m going to let my kids go to bed as early as they want.” I think this kind of statement also opens the discussion to explain to young and older children that moms and daddies do what’s best for your body and growth. Because of all of the ways you can teach something new from this story I rated it five stars.
This is a very interesting twist on bedtime. I think it would be a wonderful book to open discussion on bedtime or naptime schedules. The book does have a few puns and slight humor. I don’t think either was very fun but they were not “bad” jokes. This story can also be a great opening book for a topic on nocturnal animals. I really did enjoy the story and the illustrations. I think it is wonderful when stories step a little bit outside of the box and use animals like owls. I believe it really does start the exploration of many new animals, instead of the standard, cat, dog or rabbit stories. One of things I really notices is at the end when the little owl say “When I grow up, I’m going to let my kids go to bed as early as they want.” I think this kind of statement also opens the discussion to explain to young and older children that moms and daddies do what’s best for your body and growth. Because of all of the ways you can teach something new from this story I rated it five stars.
October 26, 2011
In an ironic twist on the classic bedtime procrastination story, Little Hoot is forced to stay up and play by his night owl parents. This tongue-in-cheek picture book combines darling illustrations with the humor of an unexpected point of view. Word play and puns also feature in this story, some more subtle than others for different reading and listening audiences. The illustrations are done in ink and watercolor with a predominance of curved lines and shapes. Characters and props are depicted, but everything else is left as white space, giving this book an un-busy appearance. The only illustration with text builds on the story’s use of word play, and another illustration is subtitled “FIG.1,” “FIG. 2,” and “FIG. 3” which are charming as well as funny, but probably appeal more to the adult reading than the very young child listening. The smaller size of this book as well as its content lends itself well to a nighttime read rather than a group story time environment. This book is recommended for children ages three to six.
December 13, 2013
My daughter has a fondness for owls, so I was delighted to find this title at the library. I wasn't sure what the story would be like, but I was immediately drawn to the illustrations. The pen and ink pictures are simultaneously adorable and clever. They create a real sense of character.
And there is a story to match. Little owl likes pretty much everything--he likes school, playing with friends, and practicing important owl skills (like pondering and staring). But he does not like bedtime. His friends get to go to bed early, but Little Hoot has to stay up very late. Even when his eyes are drooping and threatening to close, his parents insist he stay awake just a little longer.
I love the little twist of a child who wants to go to bed. It's a nice bit of reverse psychology for children who read the book.
The prose is nicely written, too. It has clear sentences and age-appropriate language. Definitely worth reading with your 2-6 year old.
And there is a story to match. Little owl likes pretty much everything--he likes school, playing with friends, and practicing important owl skills (like pondering and staring). But he does not like bedtime. His friends get to go to bed early, but Little Hoot has to stay up very late. Even when his eyes are drooping and threatening to close, his parents insist he stay awake just a little longer.
I love the little twist of a child who wants to go to bed. It's a nice bit of reverse psychology for children who read the book.
The prose is nicely written, too. It has clear sentences and age-appropriate language. Definitely worth reading with your 2-6 year old.
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January 25, 2012I thought the author did a good job of creating a foil for the readers. Often times kids argue with their parents about what time they can go to sleep using the same exact arguments little hoot uses with his parents- just implementing them in the opposite way. I think this creates a character that the kids can empathize with easily, but still laugh at the situation because of how it is completely different from their own. It also introduces to a young mind the idea of diversity and how not everyone's family does thing the same way, because although Little Hoot's family goes to bed late at night, other creatures have earlier bedtimes than they. I thoroughly enjoyed Little Hoot and his antics because it was funny and sweet how he interacted with his parents and reminded me of my babysitting days.
March 3, 2016
Little Hoot is a happy little owl, but there's one thing he doesn't like -- having to stay up late while all his friends get to go to bed early. Sure, owls are supposed to stay up late, but it doesn't seem fair. He tries to persuade his parents to let him go to bed, but they are most insistent.
We loved Little Pea, and this and its companion were both welcome continuations of the style. The illustrations are wonderful and the reversal of a familiar setting for little ones was novel (and for some reason a little harder to follow for me than Little Pea's dislike of dessert). I love the parents in these books. They care but they suffer no nonsense, especially that "but everyone else gets to!" line.
We loved Little Pea, and this and its companion were both welcome continuations of the style. The illustrations are wonderful and the reversal of a familiar setting for little ones was novel (and for some reason a little harder to follow for me than Little Pea's dislike of dessert). I love the parents in these books. They care but they suffer no nonsense, especially that "but everyone else gets to!" line.
March 29, 2013
Little Hoot by Amy Krouse Rosenthal is a book that elementary school children will appreciate. Kids always beg their parents to let them stay up just a little later, just until this show is over, just until this chapter is finished...and most of the time (at least in my personal experience)parents are not sympathetic to their children's pleas. Little hoot is a baby owl who wants a reasonable bedtime more than anything. However, his parents make him stay up late because he is a night owl, and that is what night owls do! He uses similar arguments to children, but the situation is reversed. This is obvious humor that children will understand and appreciate. Even though I doubt it will make them appreciate early bedtimes, but we can try!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 374 reviews