Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

illustrated by John Schoenherr
This book falls into the genre of ambiguously gendered main characters - something I approve of heartily. I was once so disappointed by a book whose main character I was certain was a girl only to be shown the face on the last page and discover it was a boy!

This is a beautiful story about a child who walks quietly into the woods with her father to try to call an owl. This is something her older brothers have told her about and she knows there are things she has to do which will be hard but she's very excited to finally be able to participate in this right of passage. The illustrations perfectly capture the atmosphere of a snowy moonlit night and there are animals hidden in the shadows on most of the pages.