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Quick answer: If your child loves Owl Babies, try Guess How Much I Love You, The Runaway Bunny, Owl Moon and The Kissing Hand. All are gentle picture books about love, comfort and being apart from a parent.
Martin Waddell's 1992 picture book, illustrated by Patrick Benson, follows three baby owls, Sarah, Percy and Bill, who wake in their nest and wait anxiously for their mother to return. It is short, soothing and perfect for bedtime. The books below offer similar reassuring stories for toddlers and preschoolers.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guess How Much I Love You | Sam McBratney | Ages 1-5 | bedtime love |
| The Runaway Bunny | Margaret Wise Brown | Ages 1-5 | comforting love |
| Owl Moon | Jane Yolen | Ages 3-7 | night walk |
| The Kissing Hand | Audrey Penn | Ages 3-6 | first day jitters |
| Goodnight Moon | Margaret Wise Brown | Ages 0-4 | bedtime classic |
| Llama Llama Red Pajama | Anna Dewdney | Ages 1-5 | bedtime rhymes |
| Are You My Mother? | P. D. Eastman | Ages 3-6 | baby bird |
| Little Owl Lost | Chris Haughton | Ages 2-5 | lost owl |
| Peace at Last | Jill Murphy | Ages 2-6 | bedtime comedy |
| Mama, Do You Love Me? | Barbara M. Joosse | Ages 2-6 | love and limits |
| Time for Bed | Mem Fox | Ages 1-4 | lullaby rhyme |
| Where the Wild Things Are | Maurice Sendak | Ages 3-7 | imaginary adventure |
| The Very Hungry Caterpillar | Eric Carle | Ages 0-5 | counting and colour |
| Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? | Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle | Ages 0-4 | rhythm and repetition |
| Love You Forever | Robert Munsch | Ages 2-6 | parent and child |
1. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare compare how much they love each other. Sweet.
Best for: bedtime love.
2. The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
A little bunny threatens to run away and his mother says she will find him. Soothing.
Best for: comforting love.
3. Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
A child goes owling with her father on a winter night. Quiet and beautiful.
Best for: night walk.
4. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
A raccoon is given a kiss to hold on to at school. Reassuring and sweet.
Best for: first day jitters.
5. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
A bunny says goodnight to everything in his room. Gentle and rhythmic.
Best for: bedtime classic.
6. Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
Baby llama worries at bedtime until his mama comes. Rhyming and comforting.
Best for: bedtime rhymes.
7. Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman
A baby bird looks for its mother. Short and sweet.
Best for: baby bird.
8. Little Owl Lost by Chris Haughton
A baby owl falls out of his tree and looks for his mother. Bold and funny.
Best for: lost owl.
9. Peace at Last by Jill Murphy
Mr Bear cannot get any sleep. Funny and familiar.
Best for: bedtime comedy.
10. Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse
A child tests her mother's love. Warm and gentle.
Best for: love and limits.
11. Time for Bed by Mem Fox
Animals and their babies get ready for sleep. Soft and rhythmic.
Best for: lullaby rhyme.
12. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Max sails to an island of wild things and returns home. A classic.
Best for: imaginary adventure.
13. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
A caterpillar eats his way through the week and becomes a butterfly. Colourful.
Best for: counting and colour.
14. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
A simple call-and-response book of animals and colours. Perfect for sing-song reading.
Best for: rhythm and repetition.
15. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
A mother sings to her son from baby to man. Sweet and tearful for parents.
Best for: parent and child.
How to Choose
For more owls choose Owl Moon or Little Owl Lost. For bedtime love read Guess How Much I Love You, The Runaway Bunny or Goodnight Moon. For separation anxiety pick The Kissing Hand or Are You My Mother? For bedtime comedy try Peace at Last. Owl Babies is brief and gentle, so these picks suit sleepy-time reading. Owl Babies won the Smarties Prize and has been a bestseller for decades. Children often want to hear the line about wanting their mummy again and again.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Owl Babies about?
Three baby owls wait anxiously for their mother to come back.
Who wrote it?
Martin Waddell, illustrated by Patrick Benson.
When was it published?
1992.
What age is it for?
Roughly ages 2 to 5.
Is it good for separation anxiety?
Yes, it reassures that mothers return.
Is it a good bedtime book?
Yes, it is short and calming.
Is there a sequel?
Not directly, though Waddell and Benson made other books.
What should we read next?
Try Guess How Much I Love You.
Which book here is best for first day jitters?
Try The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, which suits readers looking for first day jitters.
Which book here is best for baby bird?
Try Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman, which suits readers looking for baby bird.
Which book here is best for love and limits?
Try Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse, which suits readers looking for love and limits.