Little Eagle Lots Owls Rnf

First-time author Edmiston spins a rather attenuated tale in the style of Native American lore. Since Little Eagle Lots of Owls's name is a mouthful, his grandfather shortens it to Little Eagle, at the same time presenting the youth with a mysterious creature. ``It did not have the soft fur of the rabbit or the hard scales of the lizard. It was not big, but it was not small.'' After several unsuccessful attempts to rouse the strange beast, Little Eagle discovers that it is actually three owls, given to ensure he would not forget his full name. The narrative is so slender that the text appears almost fragmentary; both motivation for and a discernible overall point to this story seem to be lacking. Disturbing, too, is the portrayal of Little Eagle as a generic Indian with a naturalistic-sounding name who lives ``high up in the mountains where the eagles fly.'' Ross's batik illustrations, resembling stained glass in mellow tones of red, blue and brown, are visually engaging but display a lack of facial detail that inadvertently reinforces the characters' two-dimensional quality. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)