One day, a little girl’s father does an inconceivably bad thing. Granted he is not even aware of the crime he has just committed, which for the girl makes it all the more unconscionable. She’s too late to thwart his mindless destruction and cannot save the dandelions he has just mown in their backyard. Thus […]
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By: [email protected],
on 10/27/2015
Blog: Perpetually Adolescent (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: nature, children's book review, children's picture books, Dandelions, New Book Releases, fathers and daughters, Dimity Powell, Book Reviews - Childrens and Young Adult, Katrina McKelvey, EK Books, Romi Sharp, Kirrili Lonergan, Add a tag
It's autumn 1945 and young Liz's dad is home after being away for a long time fighting in the war. In fact, he has been gone so long, that he has become a stranger to Liz, who is feeling shy and a little afraid of him.
November is hunting season and father and daughter are going out to look for crows, because crows eat the crops. But first, there is a new rainbow plaid hunting shirt to be bought for Liz, so big it hangs to her knees.
On the big day, Liz and her dad get up very early, drive to the diner for breakfast, and then off to find crow and to maybe become reacquainted with each other. Liz's job is to blow on the crow call whistle just the right way to wake the crows up, her dad's job is to kill the crows with his hunting gun.
As they walk to a good hunting spot, Liz asks her dad if he was ever afraid in the war. he says, yes, he was scared, scared of lots of things, "Of being alone. Of being hurt. Of hurting someone else." When Liz admits to also being scared sometimes, he asks if she is scared now. "I start to say no. Then I remember the word that scares me. Hunter."
When they stop and Liz blows her crow call, crows from all over come flying over, and the more she blows it, the more crows come. But no shot is fired, instead her dad just watches her delight in what she is doing.
With one more blow, father and daughter head back to their car hand in hand.
Crow Call is Lois Lowry's first ever picture book (surprising for such a prolific writer). It is a fictionalized autobiographically based story, taken from a day she actually did spend with her father after he returned from the war.
Lowry addresses many issues in Crow Call, but I think the most important is Liz's fear of her father, a stranger has been away fighting and presumably killing other human beings, which is why I think their conversation about being afraid is so important. Liz needs to see her father as a loving, caring person again, not as a hunter. It is such a gentle story of how a father and daughter must find and learn to trust each other again after a long separation and while it takes place in 1945, it is a story that will resonate with so many of today's children who parents are or have been deployed overseas for long periods of time.
The gently muted realistic illustrations done by Russian-born artist Bagram Ibatoulline are done in watercolor and aryl-gouache using a palette of earth tones, which perfectly match the mood set in the text, reflecting the end of autumn, and, metaphorically the war, but highlighting Liz's rainbow colored shirt.
Fans of Lois Lowry will certainly appreciate this lovely picture book for older readers. And Crow Call would pair very nicely with Suzanne Collin's picture book Year of the Jungle: Memories from the Home Front.
This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
By: Alan Dapré,
on 7/9/2013
Blog: Alan Dapré - Children's Author (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: daughter, Dad, teenager, wimbledon, parental support, positive parenting, fathers and daughters, alan dapre, Have Kid Will Scribble, mums net, be the best, children's homes, dad quotes, john inverdale, marion bartoli, talking to teens, things dads say, wimbledon't, Add a tag
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By: [email protected],
on 10/27/2015
Blog: Perpetually Adolescent (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: nature, children's book review, children's picture books, Dandelions, New Book Releases, fathers and daughters, Dimity Powell, Book Reviews - Childrens and Young Adult, Katrina McKelvey, EK Books, Romi Sharp, Kirrili Lonergan, Add a tag
By: Alex,
on 10/14/2014
Blog: The Children's War (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Fathers and Daughters, Post WW II, Picture Book for Older Readers, Add a tag
Blog: The Children's War (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Fathers and Daughters, Post WW II, Picture Book for Older Readers, Add a tag
November is hunting season and father and daughter are going out to look for crows, because crows eat the crops. But first, there is a new rainbow plaid hunting shirt to be bought for Liz, so big it hangs to her knees.
On the big day, Liz and her dad get up very early, drive to the diner for breakfast, and then off to find crow and to maybe become reacquainted with each other. Liz's job is to blow on the crow call whistle just the right way to wake the crows up, her dad's job is to kill the crows with his hunting gun.
As they walk to a good hunting spot, Liz asks her dad if he was ever afraid in the war. he says, yes, he was scared, scared of lots of things, "Of being alone. Of being hurt. Of hurting someone else." When Liz admits to also being scared sometimes, he asks if she is scared now. "I start to say no. Then I remember the word that scares me. Hunter."
When they stop and Liz blows her crow call, crows from all over come flying over, and the more she blows it, the more crows come. But no shot is fired, instead her dad just watches her delight in what she is doing.
With one more blow, father and daughter head back to their car hand in hand.
Crow Call is Lois Lowry's first ever picture book (surprising for such a prolific writer). It is a fictionalized autobiographically based story, taken from a day she actually did spend with her father after he returned from the war.
Lowry addresses many issues in Crow Call, but I think the most important is Liz's fear of her father, a stranger has been away fighting and presumably killing other human beings, which is why I think their conversation about being afraid is so important. Liz needs to see her father as a loving, caring person again, not as a hunter. It is such a gentle story of how a father and daughter must find and learn to trust each other again after a long separation and while it takes place in 1945, it is a story that will resonate with so many of today's children who parents are or have been deployed overseas for long periods of time.
Fans of Lois Lowry will certainly appreciate this lovely picture book for older readers. And Crow Call would pair very nicely with Suzanne Collin's picture book Year of the Jungle: Memories from the Home Front.
This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
0 Comments on Crow Call by Lois Lowry, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline as of 10/14/2014 8:55:00 AM
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By: Alan Dapré,
on 7/9/2013
Blog: Alan Dapré - Children's Author (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: daughter, Dad, teenager, wimbledon, parental support, positive parenting, fathers and daughters, alan dapre, Have Kid Will Scribble, mums net, be the best, children's homes, dad quotes, john inverdale, marion bartoli, talking to teens, things dads say, wimbledon't, Add a tag
John Inverdale, BBC Sports commentator, put both feet in his mouth when he started to describe the looks of Marion Bartoli, 2013 Wimbledon Women’s Singles Winner. He said – and I quote from The Guardian - “I just wonder if her … Continue reading
By: KidLitReviews,
on 11/10/2012
Blog: Kid Lit Reviews (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Children's Books, relationships, emotions, photographs, army, service, darcy pattison, navy, air force, coast guard, veterans day, armed forces, marines, Holiday Book, fathers and daughters, 5stars, family albums, missing you, Add a tag
Blog: Kid Lit Reviews (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Children's Books, relationships, emotions, photographs, army, service, darcy pattison, navy, air force, coast guard, veterans day, armed forces, marines, Holiday Book, fathers and daughters, 5stars, family albums, missing you, Add a tag
National Veterans Awareness Week United States Senate Resolution 143 November 11 to November 17, 2012 The resolution calls for educational efforts directed at elementary and secondary school students concerning the contributions and sacrifices of veterans. Veterans Day “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to [...]