Books like Owen
By Kevin Henkes
Owen and his fuzzy yellow blanket are inseparable, no matter what the neighbor thinks about it. Your kid probably has their own version they refuse to let go of, and this book makes them feel completely normal about that. The books below are for families who know exactly what that blanket means.
Same chant-along repetition, but Millions of Cats by Wanda Gág counts up into the millions instead of loving one blanket.
That same steady parent-love feeling, except Love You Forever by Robert Munsch follows the kid all the way into adulthood.
Same big-feelings honesty about a hard day, but Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst lets the kid stay grumpy instead of finding comfort by the end.
If the steady, unshakeable parent is what won you over, The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown plays out that same promise as a chase game.
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney shares that sweet mood and the same repetition read-aloud feel with Owen.
Where a blanket eases the leap into kindergarten, The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn gives a worried kid a hand instead. Same first-day nerves, different comfort object.
Owen sticks to his blanket no matter what anyone says. The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf gives you a bull just as calmly sure of himself.
Less about comfort objects, more about a small creature growing right in front of you. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle still keeps that gentle, cheerful pace.
Owen clings to one favorite thing. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown says goodnight to everything in the room, one by one, until eyes close.
The sweetness gives way to jokes here. Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish gets its laughs from a housekeeper taking every instruction the wrong way.
Owen's world is small and cozy. Jamberry by Bruce Degen throws your kid into a berry-picking romp with a bear who talks in rhyme.
