Review by Booklist Review
No matter where you are in the world, chances are good that there's a crow close by. Meet the corvid family, including the American crow, raven, jay, and magpie, that has long lived side by side with humans, taking advantage of the abundant food supply that people produce. This may not be the splashiest species, the book suggests, but what it lacks in flashy feathers or celestial singing is more than made up for by its incredible competence and creativity. There are impressive accounts of tool use, problem-solving skills, miraculous memory, and a penchant for playfulness, plus a cross section of a crow's skull suggesting enormous brainpower. A final recommendation for crow-watching concludes with a mischievous reminder that the intelligent birds may be watching humans right back. The lively text is accompanied by arresting earth-toned illustrations that offer a beautiful bird's-eye view of the world, and the collaged style suits their scrappy existence perfectly, brimming with intriguing details (background book pages, typewritten labels) and abundant texture sure to keep readers invested. An outstanding ode to the clever crow.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"Wherever you are right now," Butterworth opens in this engaging look at corvids, "there's sure to be a crow or two nearby." In the first of many beautifully drafted spreads whose layers of textural variation complement their muted palette, Gill crams humankind's built environments into a single space. Since crows live "across the world," the Eiffel Tower rubs shoulders with domed edifices and pyramids loom in the distance. Following a series of spreads that list things crows don't do ("Crows are not fancy fliers"), the conversation shifts to what distinguishes these remarkable birds ("If a crow looks at you with its small, round eye, you can be sure it's thinking"). Noting that crows use tools, can trick other birds when stashing food, and know how to play, this assemblage of corvid portraits form a stately, intelligent survey of crow types. Ages 3--7. (July)
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Review by Horn Book Review
Butterworth begins this overview of the crow family by informing readers of crows' ubiquity: "Wherever you are right now, there's sure to be a crow or two nearby." And although there are approximately one hundred subspecies, ranging from jays to ravens, she concentrates on physical and behavioral commonalities. Crows' big brains allow them to be clever, crafty, and playful. They are adept at solving problems, such as using tools (i.e., sticks) to pry food from tight places. They show their craftiness by pretending to hide food where others might spot it, before storing it in a more concealed area. And they show their playfulness by engaging in games, such as sliding off a snowy roof. (Butterworth tells readers that such play allows them to learn skills but does not elaborate on the specific skills they are learning.) A hint of anthropomorphism creeps in on the final pages as she declares that with these characteristics, crows are "just like you!" Still, the fact that crows are amazing in and of themselves should not be lost on young listeners and readers. The mixed-media illustrations combine realistic-looking crows against soft backgrounds with a watercolor wash that hints at avian majesty. Additional information, printed on most pages in a small font, provides scientific detail. The book concludes with advice for observing crows and drawing conclusions about their actions, and a simple index. Betty CarterJuly/August 2024 p.149 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An admiring tribute to the habits and smarts of the corvid clan. Gill's standout mixed-media illustrations feature individual and group portraits of numerous crows and crow cousins, stylishly rendered in fine, exact detail. These visuals, along with a gallery of eggs, will draw the eye first, but young audiences will find Butterworth's rapturous observations, delivered in multiple sizes of type, likewise worth lingering over. "If a crow looks at you with its small, round eye, you can be sure it's thinking," she writes. "Crows are clever birds. Very clever birds." If she sells them rather short by characterizing them as "not…graceful to look at or lovely to listen to," she does suggest that, considering their canny problem-solving and tool-using skills, they're as intelligent as monkeys and apes. She urges readers to find out for themselves just how bright they are; given that they live all around the world in many habitats, they're particularly easy to find and study. (And, she notes, the crow family contains more than 100 different kinds of birds.) "Crows are smart, clever, crafty, and playful," she closes, "just like you!" Brief but as lively and appealing as its subject. (index) (Informational picture book. 6-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
