Hello, friends! Our book today is Sunny The Owl’s Search For Bedtime Stories, written by Zornitsa Ivanova and illustrated by Santhya Shenbagam R., a sweet story about a young owl’s love of reading.

Each night, Sunny the owl’s mommy reads him a story. All the books are filled with the things a young owl should know. Sunny loves them, but after a while he begins to tire of hearing the same books each night. His mother suggests that he talk to Bobby the squirrel – perhaps he has some books to borrow. And indeed, Bobby has lots of fun books about being a squirrel, just as Sweety the bluebird has some about bluebird life. Both friends lend their books to Sunny, who devours them each bedtime. Once he’s run out of books again, Sunny wants to read and know more – what is he to do? His mommy mentions a little white house at the edge of the forest, where a little boy’s mommy reads him a new story every night…

Wonderfully sweet. A simple, classic story dedicated to a thirst for reading hits all the right beats, including some clever ones about not being afraid to explore a diverse range of books and subjects, and how people who love stories can bond over sharing them with friends or even strangers. The illustrations are a bit rudimentary, with passable character design yet scenes that lack a sense of depth, and a color scheme that wavers between pleasantly bright or simply garish. One truly enjoyable element, however, is the tie-in reading lamp (sold separately), shown in the photos over JJ’s shoulder. The author does a wonderful job of weaving the lamp into the story in a way that is subtle and endearing, but does not require the lamp for enjoyment of the book. It’s a truly clever addition to the story that then becomes something the reader can enjoy with any other book in their library. Otherwise, the length of the book was fine, and JJ did enjoy it. A bit rough around the edges, but a fantastic story that encourages a love of reading and books in a multitude of ways, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book and its tie-in merchandise was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the author in exchange for an honest review.)