Saving Mr Hoot is a lovely story about a very special owl who lives in the tree outside Ben's house, but Ben is the only person who ever hears him - everyone else is too busy to notice his special call. When a tree removal order appears on Mr Hoot's home, Ben knows he has to save him - but he'll have to convince his family, friends and neighbours that Mr Hoot exists first.
Saving Mr Hoot gently encourages readers to take notice of the world around them, and to defend nature when needed. Ben is a brilliant character readers will easily empathise with - my children were really cross when no one believed him about Mr Hoot's existence!
I loved hearing all about this book during the Scholastic picture book showcase earlier in the year, and I was so excited when Scholastic sent me a copy for review. A fun fact I learnt during the showcase: Mr Hoot was painted using a stick! That's why the black lines in this picture book are so interesting and organic. It brings a touch of nature to the illustrations and makes every picture of Mr Hoot unique. This is definitely something I want to try with my Rainbows group, and it would work brilliantly in a classroom too - it's such a fun idea.
Thank you Scholastic and Alison Green Books for sending me a copy to review.
Saving Mr Hoot is written and illustrated by Helen Stephens