Little Black Crow by Chris Raschka

A little boy sits on a fence and wonders about the life of a little crow.  Where does the crow go in the snow?  Where does it go in a storm?  Who does it meet?  Does it ever complain about the cold and wet?  How does it sleep?  And most vital of all, is it really a boy, like him with similar feelings and wonders?  Raschka takes his spare verse and asks deep questions about animals and their relationship to humans.  Through it all, his watercolor images move, transitioning as the book continues from a black and brown palette to a glory of pinks, blues, oranges and yellows.  Even the illustrations have a minimalist feel to them, just like the verse they leave plenty of room for readers to insert themselves into the book.

Raschka has created a book that really works here.  It is a book that will lead to conversations and questions naturally.  It is a book that is beautifully designed, a book that invites exploration.  Raschka’s illustrations have a freedom, an exquisite carefree feel that works as a foil to the wondering tone of the boy as he tries to understand more clearly the world of the bird. 

A marvelous book, this picture book offers lots of wonder and depth.  Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Atheneum.