Little Black Crow (Richard Jackson Books (Atheneum Hardcover)) - Hardcover

Raschka, Chris

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0689846010 ISBN 13: 9780689846014

Publisher: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books, 2010

Synopsis

Picture a sky
as big as all outdoors,
a fence disappearing over a hill,
a crow then appearing,
a boy looking up,
watching, wondering.
Not much more than a moment
but the meeting
lofts a rush of childhood questions—
27 in all—inspiring answers
as big as all outdoors.

Caldecott medalist Chris Raschka,
himself the boy perhaps,
has created a book in the sparest language
 against the simplest setting,
 to inspire in any young listener
 the wonder of wondering.

About this title

About the Author

Chris Raschka is the illustrator of The Hello, Goodbye Window, which was awarded the Caldecott Medal. He is also the illustrator of the Caldecott Honor Book Yo! Yes?; Charlie Parker Played Be Bop; Mysterious Thelonious; John Coltrane’s Giant Steps; Can’t Sleep; In the City; and The Magic Flute. He lives with his wife and son in New York City.

Reviews

Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 3 Illustrations and text work as one as a boy spies a bird and begins to ask questions. Little black crow,/where do you go?/Where do you go/in the cold white snow?/Where do you go? The initially fact-based inquiries progress from solid to more ethereal. Little black crow/in the white snow,/in the blue sky,/in the brown below,/do you ever wonder/about stars you see?/Might you ever wonder/about someone.../...like me? Impressionistic watercolor landscapes perfectly set the mood and style for these awe-filled inquiries of a curious child. Spare brushstrokes leave large areas of white, and, much like the unanswered inquiries, encourage readers to suggest answers and ask more questions the minimalist paintings create an opportunity to imagine more. Enjoy this beautiful book with a group or share it quietly with a single child. Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH
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As a young boy observes a bird fly through skies that alternate from stormy to sunny, cold to warm, he wonders, Little black crow, where do you go? This query is followed by more rhetorical statements that get right to the heart of children's own questions about family, friends, love, fear, mistakes, and, above all, self-worth. Raschka uses thick, black, ink lines in abstract depictions of the boy, who appears only at the beginning, middle, and end of the book, and of the seemingly carefree bird with an oversize beak that is featured on each of the double-page spreads, along with a few short lines of gentle, rhyming text. The lonely, rural, outdoor settings are washed across wide, white pages in watercolors of browns, blues, pinks, and yellows. With its satisfying closure, this quiet, tender book will appeal to contemplative young kids who wonder about their place in the world and whether other creatures, crow and child alike, share similar, powerful feelings. Grades K-2. --Andrew Medlar

Edition details

• Publisher: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0689846010
• ISBN 13: 9780689846014
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 40