This gorgeous, lavishly illustrated picture book tells the tale of Billywise, the newborn owl, as he wonders, "Do I dare?" After first creeping out of his shell, Billywise meets Moth, who is amused by the flightless ball of fluff, and says to him, "It doesn't look as if you'll ever fly!" But all the while Billywise listens to his mother's encouraging refrain:

You will grow, you will prowl,
You will slide through the air;
You will swoop, loop-the-loop,
You will stare, you will glare...
As silently as moonlight,
You'll glide through the midnight air.

And finally, one moonlit night, he spreads his wings... With beautiful illustrations and a sophisticated, poetic text, this book captures perfectly a child's hesitation to leave the nest and the glorious moment of a first step.