Crick, Crack, Crow!

May 27, 2024
Sisters Lord and Paschkis team up to produce this onomatopoeic story about a curious American crow that likes to “stir up trouble.” As the bird flits from adventure to adventure—each spread shows a new incident in Crow’s day—the text repeats the memorable titular phrase. Crow first spies a shiny button on a garment hanging on a clothesline: “Crick, crack, crow!/ What do you know?” Depicted in the illustrator’s calligraphic ink line, Crow deposits the button in a tree hollow, then flies on, scattering songbirds, snatching a piece of cat kibble, and briefly getting trapped in a dark barn after opening the latch (“Crick, crack, fear./ What’s in here?”). When a hawk threatens to attack, Crow’s family gathers to chase it away: “They dive and dip. Flap and swerve. Swoop and plunge.” That’s enough trouble for one day in this elegant catalog of crow behaviors supplied through a single character. Back matter includes additional crow facts. Ages 4–8.

Starred review from June 1, 2024
A clever young crow loves to cause trouble. Today, Crow leaves his nest primed to raise a ruckus. He steals and hides shiny objects, dive-bombs songbirds to disrupt their baths, and taunts a dog into playing chase: "Crick, crack, run! The chase has begun." Crow's trouble is all in good fun, though, until he tires of it and tips closer to danger--like when he flies in front of a car ("Crick, crack scoot. Honk, honk, toot!") or when he gets trapped in a dark barn: "Crick, crack, fear. What's in here?" The repetition of "Crick, crack" punctuates the scenes as the danger escalates, providing a soothing rhythm even when Crow must reckon with a menacing hawk: "Crick, crack, attack. Don't turn back." Crows, known for being problem-solvers and using their beaks as tools--behaviors that are on full display in the story--know how to have fun, but they also know when to band together, which they do in a dramatic conclusion. Lord's lyrical writing and pacing make for an edge-of-your-seat journey, while Paschkis' lively, folk-inspired illustrations bring humor and emotional resonance--and gorgeous endpapers suffused with crow silhouettes. A compelling, joyous, informative romp that captures the craftiness and effervescence of corvids. (crow facts, scientific names, book recommendations for young and old readers, websites) (Informational picture book. 4-8)

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September 1, 2024
A mischievous crow spends his day getting into and out of trouble. He steals a button, bullies some songbirds, snatches a cat's kibble -- and he's just getting started. Each double-page spread is devoted to one of Crow's antics; taken all together, his busy day demonstrates a broad array of documented crow behaviors. Lord's text rollicks along with the avian mischief, variations on the titular phrase acting as a refrain. In one scene Crow hops on a peanut-jar lid and slides down a barn's roof: "He steps onto the lid and pushes off the edge. / Crick, crack, WHOA! / Slippery as snow! / Crow rides his sled to the edge of the roof / and flutter-flaps to the ground. Nice ride!" Paschkis's ink and gouache paintings incorporate her signature folk art-like details, embellishing flowers' petals and birds' feathers with stylized designs not found in nature. But not Crow -- rendered in an inky black with little-to-no individuation of feathers, his matte form draws the eye with its textural simplicity. Young listeners will notice that Crow's exploits lead him into ever greater danger, until he finds himself facing a massive hawk. Happily, one crow behavior is "mobbing" (the term is introduced in the back matter), and with the aid of his friends and family, Crow drives the hawk away before settling for the night. Clever, fun, and informative. Vicky Smith

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2024
A mischievous crow spends his day getting into and out of trouble. He steals a button, bullies some songbirds, snatches a cat's kibble -- and he's just getting started. Each double-page spread is devoted to one of Crow's antics; taken all together, his busy day demonstrates a broad array of documented crow behaviors. Lord's text rollicks along with the avian mischief, variations on the titular phrase acting as a refrain. In one scene Crow hops on a peanut-jar lid and slides down a barn's roof: "He steps onto the lid and pushes off the edge. / Crick, crack, WHOA! / Slippery as snow! / Crow rides his sled to the edge of the roof / and flutter-flaps to the ground. Nice ride!" Paschkis's ink and gouache paintings incorporate her signature folk art�? like details, embellishing flowers' petals and birds' feathers with stylized designs not found in nature. But not Crow -- rendered in an inky black with little-to-no individuation of feathers, his matte form draws the eye with its textural simplicity. Young listeners will notice that Crow's exploits lead him into ever greater danger, until he finds himself facing a massive hawk. Happily, one crow behavior is "mobbing" (the term is introduced in the back matter), and with the aid of his friends and family, Crow drives the hawk away before settling for the night. Clever, fun, and informative.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)