Owl Babies by Martin Waddell, illustrated by Patrick Benson, 1992.

Sarah, Percy, and Bill are three owl babies who live in a tree with their mother. One night, they wake up and can’t find their mother. They think it over, and they decide that she has probably gone out to get food for them.

They wait for her and try to be brave, but they get worried that she isn’t coming back. Then, suddenly, their mother does come home!

The little owls are happy to see their mother, and their mother reminds them, “You knew I’d come back.”

It’s common for children to worry when their parents go away without them, wondering if they will ever come back. The story reminds young children that, even when mommy has to go away for a while, she will still come back home.

The book is available to borrow for free online through Internet Archive.