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Owly #2
Just a Little Blue
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Owly learns that sometimes you have to make sacrifices and work at things that are important, especially friendship.
120 pages, Library Binding
First published March 1, 2005
71 people are currently reading
1041 people want to read
About the author
Andy Runton
48 books148 followersAndy is the creator of the breakout all-ages series of graphic novels, Owly, featuring a kind-hearted little owl who's always searching for new friends and adventure. Relying on a mixture of symbols and expressions to tell his silent stories, Andy?s work showcases both his gift for characterization and his love of birds, animals, and the outdoors. His animated and heartwarming style has made him a favorite of both fans and critics alike.
The Owly series has earned him multiple awards in the comics and graphic novel community, including the Howard E. Day Memorial Prize, the Harvey Award, two Ignatz Awards, and the 2006 Eisner Award for "Best Publication for a Younger Audience". He lives in the greater Atlanta area, where he works full-time on Owly comics, books, and graphic novels.
The Owly series has earned him multiple awards in the comics and graphic novel community, including the Howard E. Day Memorial Prize, the Harvey Award, two Ignatz Awards, and the 2006 Eisner Award for "Best Publication for a Younger Audience". He lives in the greater Atlanta area, where he works full-time on Owly comics, books, and graphic novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
April 2, 2021
More of the sweetness of the first book but cranked up to the edge of too sweet. This time around, there's drama about some blue birds, and it gets a little messy around animals that usually eat each other. It all works out fine and my kid was riveted. But I was a little weirded out by the message of helping people who are scared of your help or who scare you. It's a good message but told through birds with money and tools, something gets lost. Anyway, it's still very sweet. And my kid is begging for the next book, so it's doing something right.
July 19, 2025
Owly and friends help
As always this was a cute, sweet story about Owly, Wormy and Flutter who attempt to help a family of little blue birds. Dad bird doesn't trust the three friends but in the end Owly helps the family and now there are more friend. I love the positive messages in these little early reader graphic novel. I thoroughly enjoy the vibrant artwork illustrations. Even a grown up can enjoy a little slice of adorable every now and then.
As always this was a cute, sweet story about Owly, Wormy and Flutter who attempt to help a family of little blue birds. Dad bird doesn't trust the three friends but in the end Owly helps the family and now there are more friend. I love the positive messages in these little early reader graphic novel. I thoroughly enjoy the vibrant artwork illustrations. Even a grown up can enjoy a little slice of adorable every now and then.
September 19, 2008
What a sweet little story! One of the reviewers on the back cover said reading Owly is like a literary version of a HUG and I think that is a great way of describing it. Very fast read, very cute characters, and a thoughtful, heartwarming plot. I only give four stars because in a few places I did find the story a little hard to follow just based on the pictures, but maybe that was just me.
September 21, 2008
Probably five stars for enjoyment and four for overall execution.
Owly is such a cute and sweet little owl! Owly makes friends with everyone, and has a huge, warm heart.
"Just a Little Blue" is filled with warmth and action, as Owly tries to make a birdhouse for the bluebird family that lives near by. Characters must overcome preconceived notions about each other, and not only learn how to offer help, but how to accept it as well.
While there were a few times the drawings were a little vague (mostly just on a few expressions though) it was a highly entertaining book and very sweet!
Owly is such a cute and sweet little owl! Owly makes friends with everyone, and has a huge, warm heart.
"Just a Little Blue" is filled with warmth and action, as Owly tries to make a birdhouse for the bluebird family that lives near by. Characters must overcome preconceived notions about each other, and not only learn how to offer help, but how to accept it as well.
While there were a few times the drawings were a little vague (mostly just on a few expressions though) it was a highly entertaining book and very sweet!
August 4, 2017
Sometimes even friends can have a misunderstanding...but Owly teaches young children to always stay positive and forgive someone even if they don't understand you.
July 9, 2024
5 stars
Absolutely loved this story about the Bluebird Family, Owly, Wormy and a new to us friend Flutter the Butterfly. I was a little sad the hummingbirds didn’t make an appearance but it’s not a major loss. The main story is perfectly engaging and has big themes to discuss with kids so I also get why there is only one story.
Absolutely loved this story about the Bluebird Family, Owly, Wormy and a new to us friend Flutter the Butterfly. I was a little sad the hummingbirds didn’t make an appearance but it’s not a major loss. The main story is perfectly engaging and has big themes to discuss with kids so I also get why there is only one story.
September 14, 2018
Simply adorable! Probably the sweetest comic I've ever read.
February 25, 2010
My first thought was to say the Owly tales illustrate the power of optimism, but that’s true only so much as Owly’s attitude motivates his actions. Really, this is a series of stories about unrelenting giving, compassion, and friendship. Very simple, wordless stories with adorable art (I say adorable as someone who doesn’t do saccharine or cloying). Following the sequence and understanding all the messages implied by the symbols that stand in for words when dialogue occurs can still be a sophisticated reading task, but with the right experience or older helper, these are great for kids of all ages.
February 3, 2012
Owly and the worm try to help the blue birds that have made a nest in a tree near them, but the male blue bird wants nothing to do with them. He even attacks them after they built a home just for him and his family. But one night it gets so windy and is raining so much, the tree begins to break and fall. Owly and the worm rush to help the blue bird family.
This one was also really sweet and I really love Owly and his friend. I definitely want to read the other books in this series.
This one was also really sweet and I really love Owly and his friend. I definitely want to read the other books in this series.
March 29, 2022
The author's intention is probably good, but I strongly disagree with the implicit message. Note that the bluebird vandalized and attacked Owly and Wormy, but did not do anything to make up for it. Worse still, he was stated to have felt bad for "Owly", but not Wormy, and yet asked "the little worm" for help without even apologizing first! Worst of all, page 100 shows quite clearly that, unlike his child whom Wormy saved, just after that he was more concerned with the destroyed house than with thanking Wormy for saving his child! Yes, in the real world, many people apologize for past immoral behaviour only when they need help, and yet treat even those who help them poorly, but there is no excuse to represent that terrible state of affairs in a children's book that is obviously meant to teach morals, without eventually showing that the bluebird makes amends!
In case it is not clear, the implicit message is that we should always try to help others no matter what. And this message is simply wrong and arguably even immoral. The right message ought to be that we try to help others as long as it does not harm good people/creatures. The bluebird lashed out at Owly and Wormy and yelled for them to go away and not come back. Despite that, Owly and Wormy cut up their wheelbarrow to make a house for the bluebirds. The wheelbarrow is not just something they loved; as we see later it also hurt them to lose it. So it was wrong for them to decide to hurt themselves with absolutely no confidence that the bluebirds were good. Again, it is true that people do this in the real world, but blind selflessness does not yield a net benefit to society!
In case it is not clear, the implicit message is that we should always try to help others no matter what. And this message is simply wrong and arguably even immoral. The right message ought to be that we try to help others as long as it does not harm good people/creatures. The bluebird lashed out at Owly and Wormy and yelled for them to go away and not come back. Despite that, Owly and Wormy cut up their wheelbarrow to make a house for the bluebirds. The wheelbarrow is not just something they loved; as we see later it also hurt them to lose it. So it was wrong for them to decide to hurt themselves with absolutely no confidence that the bluebirds were good. Again, it is true that people do this in the real world, but blind selflessness does not yield a net benefit to society!
March 23, 2021
5 stars
A book which talks about friendship and how one should not be greedy and accept others when they are offering you help.
A book which talks about friendship and how one should not be greedy and accept others when they are offering you help.
July 11, 2017
super cute
October 10, 2011
This graphic novel, written by Andy Runton is perfect for little children. The book has soft pictures and the author used dialogue bubbles to use some written language. The story is very precious. It's about a young bird who is lonely and is trying to find friends. He is supported by his friend "wormy" who is going to help Owly look for some friends. The story depicts, through images, the adventure that the two friends take to find a new friend. They finally come across a little baby bird who is eating some birdseed. They decide to make friends with him, but then momma bird sees the owl playing with her son. Of course she gets defensive because she knows that owls can eat birds. She doesn't want Owly to play with her son. Owly and Wormy decide to help the little birds build a house so that momma bird will let them play with her son. They are both very giving and put a lot of effort into building the little birds house. The only thing they think that will show momma bird that they are nice is to paint a small little welcome sign over the door of the birdhouse, but momma bird still doesnt like them. The next time they see the birdhouse, they see the welcome sign on the door, they both get really sad, and they scoop up the bird house and take it was to owly's tree and lock it away. The birds realize that they need the house that Owly and Wormy built. They are cold and wet from the rain and they would love to have a warm house to sleep in for the night. That night a huge storm comes and knocks all of the birds out of the nest (the three baby birds). Owly of course, being the good friend that he is, decides to go and help all of the birds find their babies. The story ends will owly only finding two of the baby birds from the nest. The book ends there and keep children hanging on the edge of their seat. Although there are very few words, the book is drawn perfectly and any child would be able to understand the story. The meaning behind the story is beautiful and that is, the power of friendship. Owly is nothing but a friend and all he wants to do is find someone that will be a friend to him. This book is absolutely adorable and this series of books written by Andy Runton are ones that should definitely be in a school classroom.
February 23, 2014
In volume 2 of Andy Runton’s charming wordless graphic novel series, Owly, Vol 2: Just a Little Blue, we continue to follow the adventures of Owly and his best friend Wormy as they learn an important life lesson: sometimes acts of kindness aren’t received well by others. Don't give up. Keep working at it if it's important.
In this book, Owly and Wormy build a birdhouse for the bluebird family, but they don’t move in... in fact, the daddy bird tries to attack them. Then, one stormy day, the bluebird family’s tree is falling down and they need help. Will Owly and Wormy forgive them and help out?
The illustrations follow Runton’s whimsical, animated style that perfectly capture the characters’ emotions and bring the story to life. Through his framed images, a few sound words, and dialogue-like representations, the reader is instantly drawn in. He has a true gift for characterization!
Another adorable, kind-hearted story about Owly and his best friend Wormy! Runton’s love for birds, animals, and nature is evident throughout the story. It follows themes of friendship and compassion as Owly and Wormy try to help the bluebird family, but their gesture of kindness isn’t received well in the beginning. This story is perfect for all age levels as even the youngest of readers can easily understand what is going on. As a teacher, this book is perfect for introducing young children to skills such as “reading the pictures” and for teaching older children skills like inferencing. I definitely recommend this series and think all elementary classrooms should have a set of these in their classroom library… kids will fall in love with these!
In this book, Owly and Wormy build a birdhouse for the bluebird family, but they don’t move in... in fact, the daddy bird tries to attack them. Then, one stormy day, the bluebird family’s tree is falling down and they need help. Will Owly and Wormy forgive them and help out?
The illustrations follow Runton’s whimsical, animated style that perfectly capture the characters’ emotions and bring the story to life. Through his framed images, a few sound words, and dialogue-like representations, the reader is instantly drawn in. He has a true gift for characterization!
Another adorable, kind-hearted story about Owly and his best friend Wormy! Runton’s love for birds, animals, and nature is evident throughout the story. It follows themes of friendship and compassion as Owly and Wormy try to help the bluebird family, but their gesture of kindness isn’t received well in the beginning. This story is perfect for all age levels as even the youngest of readers can easily understand what is going on. As a teacher, this book is perfect for introducing young children to skills such as “reading the pictures” and for teaching older children skills like inferencing. I definitely recommend this series and think all elementary classrooms should have a set of these in their classroom library… kids will fall in love with these!
June 13, 2009
I'm becoming evangelical about Owly. Volume 2 is all about charity. Owly sees a family of bluebirds who live in a hollow old tree. When Owly and Wormy try to make friends, the father bluebird harasses them and tells them to leave. Owly discovers a campaign to build birdhouses for bluebirds and decides to sacrifice their wheelbarrow to provide wood for a house.
This idea of giving up some luxury of yours to help others in need, even - especially - when those you are helping greet you only with abuse, strikes me as the heart of true charity. I don't claim that I am always there, or I'm there very often. But have seen this in my father's work in homeless shelters and soup kitchens. I've seen it in the Doctors Without Borders willing to go into war zones to provide basic medical care.
Owly is such a fundamentally kind, gentle, and good person. I'm glad to share such a role-model with my daughter (and she loves the books).
This idea of giving up some luxury of yours to help others in need, even - especially - when those you are helping greet you only with abuse, strikes me as the heart of true charity. I don't claim that I am always there, or I'm there very often. But have seen this in my father's work in homeless shelters and soup kitchens. I've seen it in the Doctors Without Borders willing to go into war zones to provide basic medical care.
Owly is such a fundamentally kind, gentle, and good person. I'm glad to share such a role-model with my daughter (and she loves the books).
December 12, 2012
Disclaimer: I am a married 32 year old male with no children.
I have been an avid fan of comic books for most of my life, but the abundance of violence, sex and other unsavory material in the genre has scared me away for quite a while. I've been searching for all ages appropriate graphic novels to share with my nieces, nephew and to enjoy myself. I'd heard positive things about Owly and decided to give it a shot.
The art is charming and the nearly wordless but surprisingly involved story warms one's heart as it illustrates to children the importance of self sacrifice and not giving in to one's initial impressions. I would heartily recommend it to anyone who wants to please a young audience (I did share it with a friend's young ones after I had read it) and of course even us adults will find it an innocent, enlightening tale.
I will be looking for more Owly when I have my own kids to share it with.
I have been an avid fan of comic books for most of my life, but the abundance of violence, sex and other unsavory material in the genre has scared me away for quite a while. I've been searching for all ages appropriate graphic novels to share with my nieces, nephew and to enjoy myself. I'd heard positive things about Owly and decided to give it a shot.
The art is charming and the nearly wordless but surprisingly involved story warms one's heart as it illustrates to children the importance of self sacrifice and not giving in to one's initial impressions. I would heartily recommend it to anyone who wants to please a young audience (I did share it with a friend's young ones after I had read it) and of course even us adults will find it an innocent, enlightening tale.
I will be looking for more Owly when I have my own kids to share it with.
August 24, 2011
This was incredibly cute! I had several "awww" moments. I think the idea of an all-ages book is very interesting. For the most part, this juvenile graphic novel adheres to that goal, though it does utilize text a few times throughout. I don't believe it's fully necessary to understand the words, though. Someone only following the story through the pictures would still understand what direction the story was heading in. I found I didn't enjoy this graphic novel as much as I do those with words and illustrations, but I believe that's a personal preference developed from years of trying to put the pictures in order on Spanish exams. Very cute, though, and I would recommend this for pre-readers or early readers who are trying to grasp the parts of a story, or the idea of one thing happening after another.
October 31, 2013
Genre: Sci-fi/Fantasy
Awards: None.
Grade level: K-2.
I absolutely love the Owly books and know my students would enjoy them just as much as I do. The Owly books allow the students to really use their imagination because there are no words throughout the book. However, it is easy for students to follow Owly along his journey and relate to him. In this particular book Owly has to make sacrifices and work at things, like friendship. These are both important lessons I hope to instill in my students. After reading the graphic novel I would have the students create their own short graphic novel about a time they had to make a sacrifice. I chose to do this lesson with this book so the students can reflect on these moments of sacrifice in their own life and I can always make it a teachable moment by reminding them that sacrifice can be a good thing.
Awards: None.
Grade level: K-2.
I absolutely love the Owly books and know my students would enjoy them just as much as I do. The Owly books allow the students to really use their imagination because there are no words throughout the book. However, it is easy for students to follow Owly along his journey and relate to him. In this particular book Owly has to make sacrifices and work at things, like friendship. These are both important lessons I hope to instill in my students. After reading the graphic novel I would have the students create their own short graphic novel about a time they had to make a sacrifice. I chose to do this lesson with this book so the students can reflect on these moments of sacrifice in their own life and I can always make it a teachable moment by reminding them that sacrifice can be a good thing.
June 7, 2011
This was not my favorite Owly book.
I found it to be a bit long and slightly hard to follow given the limited amount of expression Any Runton uses. Ultimately, it is a great story about helping your neighbor but thematically, there were some holes for me. One, if someone doesn't want your help...don't give it to them. The very angry and proud Papa Blue Bird seriously didn't want Owly's help. Move on Owly, not everyone is going to be your friend and that's okay.
Ultimately, Owly saves the day...like he do, but the overall narrative was actually a bit clunky and hard to follow especially compared to all the other Owly books.
Still, it provides wonderful illustrations, heart warming characters, and a chance for kids to work on understanding a story with only visuals.
I found it to be a bit long and slightly hard to follow given the limited amount of expression Any Runton uses. Ultimately, it is a great story about helping your neighbor but thematically, there were some holes for me. One, if someone doesn't want your help...don't give it to them. The very angry and proud Papa Blue Bird seriously didn't want Owly's help. Move on Owly, not everyone is going to be your friend and that's okay.
Ultimately, Owly saves the day...like he do, but the overall narrative was actually a bit clunky and hard to follow especially compared to all the other Owly books.
Still, it provides wonderful illustrations, heart warming characters, and a chance for kids to work on understanding a story with only visuals.
January 31, 2013
31 January 2013
Owly, Vol. 2: Just a Little Blue follows the oh-so-generous Owly on another adventure to make friends. He attempts to befriend a bluebird by building the bird and his family a brand new house. Naturally mistrusting of the "big bad owl," the bird shoos Owly and Wormy away. Poor Owly always being misjudged. But when catastrophe strikes the bluebird family, our little heroes are there to save the day.
While I really enjoyed this heartwarming story, it left me feeling really, really bad for how much Owly sacrifices to no end. I'd like to see something nice be done for him. I love how sweet these stories are. I'm reading this series while sick in bed and I'm finding the books really lift my spirits. I love Owly.
Owly, Vol. 2: Just a Little Blue follows the oh-so-generous Owly on another adventure to make friends. He attempts to befriend a bluebird by building the bird and his family a brand new house. Naturally mistrusting of the "big bad owl," the bird shoos Owly and Wormy away. Poor Owly always being misjudged. But when catastrophe strikes the bluebird family, our little heroes are there to save the day.
While I really enjoyed this heartwarming story, it left me feeling really, really bad for how much Owly sacrifices to no end. I'd like to see something nice be done for him. I love how sweet these stories are. I'm reading this series while sick in bed and I'm finding the books really lift my spirits. I love Owly.
February 1, 2008
Just a little amazing is more like it!
Owly is a graphic novel that just pulls in anybody with a heart. I think Runton is a genius for finally giving animals a realistic mode of communication - they speak in actions and pictographs (mini-comic strips, really). It's possible that keeping the stereotypical but slightly-too-human language bit out of Owly and Wormy's life is what allows readers to to feel so humanly, emotionally connected to it. At any rate, it is a great, engaging read, with adorable illustration.
Owly is a graphic novel that just pulls in anybody with a heart. I think Runton is a genius for finally giving animals a realistic mode of communication - they speak in actions and pictographs (mini-comic strips, really). It's possible that keeping the stereotypical but slightly-too-human language bit out of Owly and Wormy's life is what allows readers to to feel so humanly, emotionally connected to it. At any rate, it is a great, engaging read, with adorable illustration.
March 19, 2008
Andy Runton, Owly: Just a Little Blue (Top Shelf, 2005)
Owly and Wormy find themselves besieged by a pair of blue jays. In order to mollify them, Owly builds a nesting box, but they reject it in favor of the dead hollow tree they've been nesting in. All is well, if uneasy, until a big storm hits the valley, destroying the tree and causing one of the jays' babies to go missing. Once again, Andy Runton has done a fantastic job of conveying a world of feeling in very simple drawings; Owly is a great series for all ages and, as Runton says on his website, for people who think they don't like comics. If you haven't discovered Owly yet, it's definitely worth searching out. ****
Owly and Wormy find themselves besieged by a pair of blue jays. In order to mollify them, Owly builds a nesting box, but they reject it in favor of the dead hollow tree they've been nesting in. All is well, if uneasy, until a big storm hits the valley, destroying the tree and causing one of the jays' babies to go missing. Once again, Andy Runton has done a fantastic job of conveying a world of feeling in very simple drawings; Owly is a great series for all ages and, as Runton says on his website, for people who think they don't like comics. If you haven't discovered Owly yet, it's definitely worth searching out. ****
February 19, 2010
I really got this from the library for my daughter, who is a big fan of graphic novels. After looking through this one, I knew I had a hit on my hands. But she insisted that I read it too. I feel a little like cheating, counting this as a book read, when there is very few words in the book. But it was a charming story and I'm sure I will still get to my 100 books without any trouble, so I'm going to list it. Owly and his little friend the worm decide to build a new house for the bluebirds. Very sweet little story with great pictures. My daughter was very happy to hear that there are 2 more books at the library, and I may just mark this one down as a gift for her birthday.
December 13, 2011
Andy Runton's Owly Volume 2: Just a Little Blue by Andy Runton is a popular book for ALL AGES. This book talks about the kindness of this kind owl named Owly and his pal Wormy who had just discovered blue birds and want to be friends with them. But the problem is, the blue birds don't like owls and eat worms. Will Owly and Wormy become friends with the blue birds?
I picked up this book because I wanted to continue the Owly series.
I finished this book because I can't let go of the book. It was too awesome!
I think I would recommend this to Kelly because I don't know why but for some reason, she relates to Owly.
I picked up this book because I wanted to continue the Owly series.
I finished this book because I can't let go of the book. It was too awesome!
I think I would recommend this to Kelly because I don't know why but for some reason, she relates to Owly.
December 9, 2011
This book is the second book of the owly serise. This time, owly and wromy discovers new friends. They are Blue Birds and they wanted to build a house for them. But the problem is that when something goes wrong, the birds think there trying to trap them. And they think they want to kill them. So the birds attack Owly and Wromy. But at the end, someone does a good deed and helps them out.
I picked this book because I liked the first book of the serise.
I finished this book because I wanted to know what was going to happen next.
I recomend this book to Kaitlyn because she liked the first Owly book.
I picked this book because I liked the first book of the serise.
I finished this book because I wanted to know what was going to happen next.
I recomend this book to Kaitlyn because she liked the first Owly book.
April 15, 2012
Wordless. In this book, Owly cast of friends expands as he befriends a butterfly and a bluebird. His mission this time is to help the bluebirds by building them a new home. They distrust him at first, but when the weather turns and Owly and his best friend Wormy help save the trio of baby bluebirds the bird family happily moves into their new home sweet home. This book was more cheerful and lighthearted than the 1st book. I'd almost suggest starting with this book and then going back to read the 1st book and read about how Owly and Wormy meet just so readers get the essence of the Owly series right off the bat as is apparent in this book.
August 19, 2012
The Owly series of graphic stories are about 180 pages of nearly wordless mini-episodes that accumulate to a larger theme or context. The detail and complexity of the images and their evolving characters are suitable for any age, for English-or-any-language speakers, and for those eager to work with "long books". The episodes and their full volumes are ideal for building capacity to manage complex chapter books and novels in struggling readers, to summarize and explain, to note and describe supporting details. Ideal for increasing visual literacy, and they are really entertaining.
June 30, 2014
Graphic Novel. I thought Owly was a super cute, adorable character and enjoyed the graphic novel Volumes Two & Three. I like owls and forest animals in general so it would be a series I'd recommend to anyone who likes owls since it's always fun to read about something you are interested in. In Just A Little Blue, I loved Owly's expressions and his thoughtfulness. He just wanted to give a friend a home. Reading graphic novels is reading pictures as well as text or punctuation marks. The illustrations are black and white with a lot of emotion!
January 17, 2016
I admire Owly's character so much. He is so selfless, caring, and willing to make sacrifices for others. Though it makes my heart ache to see when some characters 'judge a book by its' cover' & reject or even try to harm him (or his friends) [of course, realistically, it has to be this was for survival reason], I'm happy that in each story so far, he is able to make new friends and characters usually see the light and realize how kind he actually is.
This, again, is a story full of emotions & it always amazes me how much the author can convey without the use of words.
This, again, is a story full of emotions & it always amazes me how much the author can convey without the use of words.
July 28, 2016
If you are an adult who misses the comic books of your youth, then this series is for you. Appealing to all ages, this almost wordless book doesn’t need words to convey the feelings of friendship between Owly and Wormy. In this adventure, the duo tries to befriend some bluebird parents. The frustration they encounter because of the misplaced fear of the bluebirds is quite evident. How they deal with the distrust of the bluebirds is a story of perseverance. Charmingly drawn, this graphic novel is a delightful tale for everyone.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews