How to Know a Crow

August 1, 2024
A fulsome appreciation of these intelligent, social, nearly ubiquitous corvids. Centering attention on the American crow, Savage takes a fictive female she names Oki ("Hello" in Niitsitapi) from hatchling to new mom. Along the way, she dishes out heaping helpings of research-based facts and observations about crow species and behaviors worldwide. Indignantly rejecting "murder" as a collective noun ("That's so mean!"), she maps out seasonal rounds in extended families loosely organized in larger flocks--explaining how crows play, communicate, construct nests, nurture and train their young, use and even make tools, and generally display every sign of being "alight with awareness." Poignantly, she notes that while mosquito-borne West Nile virus occasionally makes humans and other sorts of birds ill, for crows it carries a nearly 100% mortality rate. "American Crows," she writes, leading up to the close, "often lead complex lives, full of drama and intimacy"--"acaws for amazement," as she puts it elsewhere, and fledgling naturalists will agree. Hudson's close-up illustrations and spot portraits, appearing on nearly every page, ably support the claim. Human figures rarely appear but seem to show some diversity. An absorbing study--certainly "caws" for further investigation. (author's note, glossary, resource lists, index)(Nonfiction. 10-13)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2024
Grades 4-6 Crows are a standard sight in many places around the world, but what does their avian existence actually entail? Readers are invited to enter "the secret world of crows," and with a "tap-tap, crunch," they're introduced to a newly hatched American crow. Oki ("hello" in Niitsitapi language) can't do much but beg for food; however, her parents have plenty of help--previous offspring and other relatives lend a hand in a rare instance of cooperative breeding. As the blue-eyed baby grows and matures, the book follows her on spirited fledgling adventures and forays into the adult business of starting a family of her own. Oki is an amalgamation of typical crow experiences, but the fictional narrative is an ideal springboard for exploring all aspects of a crow life cycle. The enlightening and entertaining text is formatted around striking illustrations that bring the birds brilliantly to life, and colorful text boxes offer up tasty tidbits of extra information. Avian enthusiasts are sure to find a new feathered favorite in these clever crows.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2024
A fictional American Crow named Oki is the focus of Savage's introduction to the species. A dense text follows along as Oki hatches, learns to fly and find food, ventures away from her nest to meet new birds, and finally has hatchlings of her own. Detailed crow facts are incorporated in a natural way; the information is accompanied by flat illustrations (final art unseen). An author's note, glossary, resources, and an index (unseen) are appended.

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