Crows An egg-to-sky story

Artist Peot offers an overview of crows, beginning with adult crows roosting (gathering with others in the fall and winter for safety, warmth, interactions with others, and perhaps finding a mate). Mated pairs, which usually stay together for life, begin building their nest in the spring. When the female starts laying her eggs (generally in clutches of four to seven), she sits on them to keep them warm, and her mate brings her food. After the eggs hatch, both parents keep the nest clean and feed the hatchlings. Older siblings in the area may help feed the little ones too. Sometimes, fledgling crows may leave the nest too soon. Though stranded on the ground, they are protected by their families until they learn to fly. After covering the basic life cycle of crows and commenting on their intelligence, the book concludes with discussions of their cawing sounds and how crows are like and unlike ravens. Readers curious about crows will find intriguing information here, illustrated with handsome depictions of crows in action. An attractive introduction to crows.

Heavy outlining and decorative borders give this detailed lifecycle story by Peot the feel of an illustrated manuscript. Each spread marks a stage of crow upbringing. Male crows court females, mates build nests together (lined with "soft grasses, moss, or fine bark strips"), and eggs are laid, warmed, and hatched ("Both parents clean and fluff the nest around the babies and make sure they are clean"). Unexpected crow trivia abounds: older siblings often return to help the parents care for chicks, and when fledglings land on the ground, crows work together to mob would-be predators. At last, fledglings fly and then roost, and the cycle begins anew. Two additional sections and a bibliography conclude this close-up view of intimate moments in a crow family's life. Ages 6--9. (July)