Otto the Owl Who Loved Poetry

Otto the Owl Who Loved Poetry written and illustrated by Vern Kousky (2015)

Otto is different. He’s misunderstood. The other owls don’t know why he would rather read or recite poetry than hunt or roost in the trees. They tease him. But the field mice appreciate his poetry. They encourage him to read aloud and make up his own poems. Otto is so delighted that he decides that poetry should be shared with everyone. Otto reads poems about the wind, the moon, the trees, and the evening. Soon Otto is reciting poetry to more than just the field mice, soon the owls begin to take notice and appreciate Otto’s poetry too.

Whooo loves poetry? Otto the Owl. If your children love Otto as much as the field mice do, they might like to memorize some of his poems too. After all, Otto only recites the best: Eliot, Stevenson, Kilmer, Dickinson, and Rossetti.

When I taught first and second grade, a lot of people were making Poet Tree bulletin boards. Luckily, I have a very handy husband who made me a Poet Tree similar to the one in the picture. He anchored it in a planter with cement. It was a little heavy to move around, but it was stable and we never had an accident in all the years I used it. HERE is a site demonstrating another way to put one together.

Maybe you can add an owl to your tree in honor of Otto.

 You can find a good selection of poetry books for children HERE.