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Owl Diaries #1
El Festival Florestástico de Eva
This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line called Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers. Eva gets in over her head when she offers to organize a spring festival at school. Even with her best friend's help, there is NO way she will get everything done in time. Will Eva have to ask Susana for help? Or will the festival have to be cancelled? This book is written as Eva's diary -- with Rebecca Elliott's owl-dorable full-color illustrations throughout!
Eva está hasta el tope con la organización del festival de primavera. Aún con la ayuda de su mejor amiga, no estará todo a tiempo. ¿Tendrá que pedirle ayuda a Susana (la odiosa)? El libro está escrito como si fuera un diario con adorables ilustraciones.
Eva está hasta el tope con la organización del festival de primavera. Aún con la ayuda de su mejor amiga, no estará todo a tiempo. ¿Tendrá que pedirle ayuda a Susana (la odiosa)? El libro está escrito como si fuera un diario con adorables ilustraciones.
80 pages, Hardcover
First published January 6, 2015
369 people are currently reading
2363 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Elliott
215 books300 followersRebecca Elliott is the author and illustrator of the best-selling Owl Diaries series (Scholastic US) & over 20 picture books including Just Because, Sometimes, Naked Trevor and Zoo Girl, for which she was nominated for the 2012 Kate Greenaway Medal.
Her new series The Unicorn Diaries (Scholastic US) & her first YA novel 'Pretty Funny ' (Penguin Random House) are out now.
Her new series The Unicorn Diaries (Scholastic US) & her first YA novel 'Pretty Funny ' (Penguin Random House) are out now.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 402 reviews
July 19, 2015
This is the review of my 7 year old Daughter, Sydney.
Who is in this story: This story a Eva and Lucy the owls. They are really the only characters in the story.
Where does it take place: Most of the story takes place at Eva's house which is in a house. Some of the story also takes place at Eva's school.
What is the story about: The Story is about Eva who lives in Treetop 11. She likes lots of fun things like colorings, crafts and clothes. (Things that I also like). She has family and pet Bat named Baxter. Eva decides to plan a treetop festival with her friend but everything goes wrong! Eva learns that she can't do everything by herself.
Why I liked this story: This book helped me read and it was funny. This was one of the first chapter books I read all by myself and after reading this one I wanted to read more books. I liked it so much that have read it two times.
Who is in this story: This story a Eva and Lucy the owls. They are really the only characters in the story.
Where does it take place: Most of the story takes place at Eva's house which is in a house. Some of the story also takes place at Eva's school.
What is the story about: The Story is about Eva who lives in Treetop 11. She likes lots of fun things like colorings, crafts and clothes. (Things that I also like). She has family and pet Bat named Baxter. Eva decides to plan a treetop festival with her friend but everything goes wrong! Eva learns that she can't do everything by herself.
Why I liked this story: This book helped me read and it was funny. This was one of the first chapter books I read all by myself and after reading this one I wanted to read more books. I liked it so much that have read it two times.
May 16, 2023
This was really cute! I’ve seen the Owl Diaries around the library for ages but I’ve ever taken the time to read one. The story focuses on a young owl named Eva who has just received a new diary. In this particular installment in the series, Eva decides to create a Spring festival for her classmates. She quickly gets overwhelmed and realizes that sometimes it’s okay to ask for help. I really enjoyed the messaging in this book because even as an adult I have a tendency to take on projects that I can’t accomplish myself and then refuse to ask for help. This was a great reminder for me that sometimes you need help and it’s okay to ask. The illustrations that accompanied the text were great and I really enjoyed them. Overall, this was a great start to the series and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the books. This is perfect for 1st-2nd grade readers.
May 4, 2015
4.5 stars
March 25, 2024
A young owl's diary is a cute concept for an early chapter book, and Rebecca Elliott's story and artwork do it justice. Eva Wingdale is a colorful little owl who loves creative design, trying on pretty outfits, and spending time with her friend Lucy Beakman, who lives in the next tree over. Eva has a family like any kid, including a brother, Humphrey, whom she isn't always happy with. She attends school, does homework, and clashes with her frenemy Sue Clawson, who frequently exasperates her in class. This spring, Eva has a hoot-errific idea to celebrate the season: a gala event for her class, the first-ever Bloomtastic Festival. What better way to celebrate winter's end? Sue doubts Eva's ability to coordinate the festival by herself, and their teacher (Miss Featherbottom) cautions Eva to delegate responsibility so she isn't overwhelmed, but Eva is sure that won't be a problem. Creative planning is fun for her.
Life gets busy with Eva trying to put together the festival on her own, and her friend Lucy suggests she assign a few of the jobs to other students. With Sue's negative words still ringing in her ears, though, Eva hesitates to admit she needs help. She wants to prove she's capable of doing it all without Sue contributing a thing. As the Bloomtastic Festival nears and so much remains for Eva to finish, the only way to avoid canceling the event is to ask her classmates to pitch in. But will they want to do their part to get the Bloomtastic Festival off the ground?
Eva's Treetop Festival is more than a cute and colorful book. No matter how good we are at something or how much we love doing it, we need support in order to complete an ambitious project, and bringing it into existence as we envision it will probably require helping hands and perspectives. We're better off embracing that than fighting it, perhaps afraid the idea won't be ours anymore if others work to make it happen. We all occasionally take on more than we can handle, and if you have nice friends and teachers, they'll happily shoulder some of the burden so it isn't too heavy on any individual. Then everyone can take pride in the end product, knowing they made a difference. Even a mildly bossy owl such as Sue Clawson might become agreeable if the project is a labor of love for her. It's funny how a little investment of time and energy can change things.
This story is adorable in so many ways. Eva's pet bat, Baxter? I want him! He's even cuter than usual when Eva dresses him in a bunny costume to paint his portrait. Yes, that actually happens. The owl puns are ubiquitous and amusing, and Eva's rivalry with her brother has its moments. The character designs are eye-pleasing. I'd consider two and a half stars for Eva's Treetop Festival, simple as it is. The visual appeal and sturdy moral are worth that. I suspect Rebecca Elliott's Owl Diaries are going to be a keeper of a series.
Life gets busy with Eva trying to put together the festival on her own, and her friend Lucy suggests she assign a few of the jobs to other students. With Sue's negative words still ringing in her ears, though, Eva hesitates to admit she needs help. She wants to prove she's capable of doing it all without Sue contributing a thing. As the Bloomtastic Festival nears and so much remains for Eva to finish, the only way to avoid canceling the event is to ask her classmates to pitch in. But will they want to do their part to get the Bloomtastic Festival off the ground?
Eva's Treetop Festival is more than a cute and colorful book. No matter how good we are at something or how much we love doing it, we need support in order to complete an ambitious project, and bringing it into existence as we envision it will probably require helping hands and perspectives. We're better off embracing that than fighting it, perhaps afraid the idea won't be ours anymore if others work to make it happen. We all occasionally take on more than we can handle, and if you have nice friends and teachers, they'll happily shoulder some of the burden so it isn't too heavy on any individual. Then everyone can take pride in the end product, knowing they made a difference. Even a mildly bossy owl such as Sue Clawson might become agreeable if the project is a labor of love for her. It's funny how a little investment of time and energy can change things.
This story is adorable in so many ways. Eva's pet bat, Baxter? I want him! He's even cuter than usual when Eva dresses him in a bunny costume to paint his portrait. Yes, that actually happens. The owl puns are ubiquitous and amusing, and Eva's rivalry with her brother has its moments. The character designs are eye-pleasing. I'd consider two and a half stars for Eva's Treetop Festival, simple as it is. The visual appeal and sturdy moral are worth that. I suspect Rebecca Elliott's Owl Diaries are going to be a keeper of a series.
January 2, 2018
My daughter has been reading this to me. They are a quick read, even for children, as it’s written in diary form so sentences are short and not many on a page. This is motivating to my daughter, who after a long school day and after school activities would rather do anything but read. This series is fun and light hearted and is good fluency and comprehension practice for a first or second grader.
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January 9, 2023Officially the first chapter book I’ve ever read aloud to my toddler 🥹 such a milestone!
September 13, 2025
oof...I remember borrowing this book from my apartment's library 3(!!) times to read it 😭
Childhood summers were so much fun 🥹
Apart from having a fun story, these books also have some valuable lessons for kids - friendship, asking for help when required; and also gives us good tips (make a to-do list) lol.
Childhood summers were so much fun 🥹
Apart from having a fun story, these books also have some valuable lessons for kids - friendship, asking for help when required; and also gives us good tips (make a to-do list) lol.
December 26, 2020
My daughter and I finished the book in 3 nights. The illustrations are adorable Eva is so sweet. We plan on reading the the rest of the series
July 22, 2017
72 pages. This is a very cute story about a little owl named Eva who is in charge of the flower festival. It is cleverly done. It has been a very popular series at my school. Highly recommended for girls in grades 4-5.
April 14, 2021
Azért vettem meg, mert bagolymániás vagyok. Ráadásul cukik az illusztrációk, imádom ezt a stílust. Nem mellékesen a szöveg is aranyos. Remélem, nemsokára lesz unokám, mert rengeteg cuki könyvem van. :)
August 8, 2017
Eva wants to do all the work for the Treetop Festival, but eventually learns the value of teamwork.
The writing and creativity of the story are wonderful. I like the inventive last names of the characters and the new words the author created makes this a fun read.
The illustrations are bright and cheerful.
The writing and creativity of the story are wonderful. I like the inventive last names of the characters and the new words the author created makes this a fun read.
The illustrations are bright and cheerful.
April 21, 2015
Great message for young people connected to this book. Loved it for beginner readers.
October 29, 2016
The book was awesome and great and pretty good!
I liked the book because it was about teamwork. I also liked that Eva and I had a lot in common.
I liked the book because it was about teamwork. I also liked that Eva and I had a lot in common.
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January 27, 2019Great first chapter book for my daughter!
July 29, 2015
Colorful and appealing are adjectives that describe both the illustrations and the character. And while Eva is pleasant from the start, she learns over the course of this brief story that she has room to grow into someone even more pleasant. A book with high appeal for young readers that is done well.
November 9, 2015
Cute illustrations and readable text for kids just beginning to pick up chapter books. Silly puns on owls aside, this one's a hoot.
February 16, 2016
This is my favorite book. The reason that they help each other makes me feel really good. I can't wait to read the next book. I love the festival I wish they did this at my house.
October 17, 2018
Very basic. Strong book for a beginning chapter book reader.
March 9, 2020
This book is awesome because it’s nice to see friends helping. Addy Carlson (7)
March 10, 2025
I liked that Eva asked for help. I also liked that her friends helped her.
September 9, 2025
I had many favorite series as a child, but this one was my absolute fav! 🫶🏼
June 9, 2018
Eva is bored, but a comment from her best friend Lucy gives her an idea. She's going to create the Bloomtastic Festival with four contests to celebrate the beginning of spring. She gets her teacher's approval and her plans all in place, but as the festival gets closer and closer Eva just can't get all of the stuff on her to-do list done. Will the Bloomtastic Festival be an utter failure, or will Eva realize the wisdom of some advice she was given?
This is the perfect read for the little overachiever, perfectionist, most-likely-to-try-and-do-all-the-groupwork-themselves reader. Eva learns an important lesson about delegating responsibilities and trusting others to get things done well enough (if not perfect). There's also a little lesson about being kind and giving people the benefit of the doubt instead of pre-deciding someone always has a bad intent in what they say or do. This series is really popular among our elementary students and I'm sure it is the cute and colorful, pretty much graphic novel wrappings that most drive the checkouts. The lessons Eva learns are good ones, so not only are the kids going to be happy with this book, parents and teachers should be happy with what the kids are picking up along the way too.
This is the perfect read for the little overachiever, perfectionist, most-likely-to-try-and-do-all-the-groupwork-themselves reader. Eva learns an important lesson about delegating responsibilities and trusting others to get things done well enough (if not perfect). There's also a little lesson about being kind and giving people the benefit of the doubt instead of pre-deciding someone always has a bad intent in what they say or do. This series is really popular among our elementary students and I'm sure it is the cute and colorful, pretty much graphic novel wrappings that most drive the checkouts. The lessons Eva learns are good ones, so not only are the kids going to be happy with this book, parents and teachers should be happy with what the kids are picking up along the way too.
May 26, 2019
A delightful series for early readers. Eva is likable, creative, and curious. Themes explored in this series include making and maintaining friendships, gaining independence, and managing responsibility. Fun and relevant stories for the targeted age group.
These books can be used as independent readers or as classroom materials. They are also short enough to be read aloud in small groups. Each volume contains comprehension questions at the back of the book. Eva is always making crafts and launching projects; her many ideas can be used as activities in real life, or easily spur craft ideas of your own.
In this first title in the series, Eva plans a festival but gets in over her head when she insists on doing everything herself. When she can't get it all done, she is forced to ask her classmates for help, and they are all willing to pitch in. In the end, Eva realizes that while everything isn't perfect as she had planned, everyone has a wonderful time, and even more so because they helped with the arrangements.
These books can be used as independent readers or as classroom materials. They are also short enough to be read aloud in small groups. Each volume contains comprehension questions at the back of the book. Eva is always making crafts and launching projects; her many ideas can be used as activities in real life, or easily spur craft ideas of your own.
In this first title in the series, Eva plans a festival but gets in over her head when she insists on doing everything herself. When she can't get it all done, she is forced to ask her classmates for help, and they are all willing to pitch in. In the end, Eva realizes that while everything isn't perfect as she had planned, everyone has a wonderful time, and even more so because they helped with the arrangements.
November 1, 2019
I know that kids' books are not intended (usually) for an adult, but I wonder if even kids who read this are going wonder what Eva is thinking when she tries to do everything for the festival herself, despite her teacher telling her straightforwardly that it's a lot of work and she should get some help. Either they'll think they're smart for figuring out Eva's issue before she does, or they'll wonder how Eva could be so dense.
The format is cute and the illustrations are colorful, but the plot of this one isn't too strong. Also, readers who are the comparable age to Eva in her owl world would probably not take on such a project at all. I'm such a credibility stickler, I know, even for owls.
The format is cute and the illustrations are colorful, but the plot of this one isn't too strong. Also, readers who are the comparable age to Eva in her owl world would probably not take on such a project at all. I'm such a credibility stickler, I know, even for owls.
August 6, 2018
Hybrid almost graphic novel style beginning chapterbook going into my readers advisory rotation for beginning chapter books. This will be especially good for kids who are interested in Dork Dairies or Wimpy Kid but are too young for them. Will probably primarily appeal to girls. Full illustrations in color. Super cute. The story and the characters are appealing, but fun and safe and great for those 6 to 8 year olds navigating more independence and more complex social relationships as those are the topics explored.
October 6, 2017
As much as I dislike all the pink and the cutsie activities Eva the owl enjoys (she tries on different outfits, and makes a bracelet!!), I have to say this series is marketing genius for early readers. Scholastic really knows kids. Owl Diaries has a diary format, TONS of color illustrations, and is a really accessible story. And it isn't horrible, although I prefer some other Branches series over this one.
August 21, 2015
This book shows that owls have a mind of there own! They are talented cute and of course fuzzy! Eva is a girl who wants to share her love with the world and look out for the other books because I will! Read how Eva does a wonderful entry in her diary!
4.5
4.5
September 15, 2016
This is a nice book for some of my readers who are working with easier text because it has that diary format that many of the popular chapter book series have - which is both appealing, and a good introduction to that way of telling a story.
December 31, 2017
I love this series by Rebecca Elliott! This is a great way for emerging young readers to get involved with simple chapter books. The stories are easy to read and the illustrations are colorful and lively. This series is a keeper. Eva is a little cutie!
January 27, 2019
One of the better early, early chapter book series. It's a simple, sweet story with a good lesson that doesn't get bop-you-on-the-head message-y. And the illustrations are super-adorable. (Except for the shoes. I'm a little weirded out by the owls wearing shoes, much less shoes with heels.)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 402 reviews