Merry Christmas, Merry Crow

by Kathi Appelt, Jon Goodell (Illustrations)

A broken chain, a piece of string, a bottle cap . . . To most people, these things are useless trash. But to a clever crow, they're just what he needs to create a special surprise--a beautiful Christmas tree that everyone can treasure.
Told in jaunty rhyme by Kathi Appelt and lavishly illustrated by Jon Goodell, this heartwarming story of people brought together by a very unexpected artist has all the makings of a Christmas classic.

Genres: Christmas, Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Holiday, Birds, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Lives in College Station, TX with husband Ken and four adorable cats.

Two sons, both musicians.

Serves on the faculty at Vermont College of Fine Arts in the MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults Program.

Reviews

[Jacqueline Pearce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just discovered this picture book (as a crow fan, I couldn't resist it), and it is my new favourite Christmas book. I love the way the crow (an unusual hero for a Christmas story) makes its way through the town and the book's pages, picking up eye-catching objects just as a real crow might, weaving together the town's human and animal inhabitants with Chrsitmas spirit. The illustrations are both realistic and lively, wonderfully evoking the feeling of a town wrapped in snow and the arrival of Christmas. The simple ryhming text is perfect for reading out loud.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, it's just me. But I like Appelt's juvenile novels much better than her picture books. And I found the people's faces in this art to be too 'off' and distracting from the beauty of the critters and settings. And the predictability of the ending meant that the whole book felt, to me, like an excuse to sell an ICC (Instant Christmas Classic) to people, like me, who like crows.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A crow gathers up a bunch of shiny objects and decorates a Christmas tree. The amount of text is only a couple of rhyming sentences or phrases per page, so great for preschooler and younger audiences.

[Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5* art
5* poem

Everything comes together in this book - pictures, poetry, feeling. Love it.

[Amy the book-bat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artwork is beautiful in this one. The story is simple but nice. I liked it quite a bit.

[Lorellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely charming.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

For all the lively charm of Kathi Appelt's verse, it's Jon Goodell's sublime artwork that carries Merry Christmas, Merry Crow. His richly multilayered paintings lack nothing a Caldecott Medal-winning book needs, tracking the twilight flight pattern of the title crow without letting a single stop along the way be obscured by falling night. Because the illustrations depict the hustle and bustle of holiday merriment so well, the poem is able to concentrate on the crow as he swoops from one destination to the next in town, reclaiming unwanted old Christmas decorations in preparation for the yuletide jubilee at the end of his route.

Store-bought baubles, immaculate aluminum ornaments, and traditional garlands of holly and mistletoe aren't necessary to have a beautiful Christmas tree. Even a crow acting alone on a frigid December night can gather materials for a bright, pleasing tree, rescuing the scraps that people throw away and repurposing them into a creative display of holiday cheer. You don't need piles of money to come up with an artistically satisfying centerpiece for the season, just a keen eye for the value of things that have been relegated to the scrap heap. You'll find, as the crow does, that materials deemed useless by others yield more reward than you ever dreamed.

Merry Christmas, Merry Crow is a convivial story whose heart is formed by its illustrations, though Newbery Honoree Kathi Appelt (The Underneath, 2009) does nice work, too. It's a simple, thoughtful book about how easy it can be to make the holidays shine brighter, and a quiet caution against dismissing anything or anyone as worthless without taking a closer look at what you'd lose by dismissing them as landfill fodder. I give Merry Christmas, Merry Crow at least one and a half stars, possibly the full two, and recommend it for anyone to read near the Christmas season.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The charm of this book lies in its illustrations by Jon Goodell, which are simply gorgeous. In this simple story, told in short rhymes, a crow flies from place to place, gathering bits of this and that and taking them...well, that surprise is revealed at the end of the book. This is the perfect bedtime book for Christmas eve. I must get a copy for my library!

[Miriam Axel-lute · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful, well-written, secular book that I can read multiple times to the kids without finding it tiresome (and good thing too). We get it out of the library every December.

The thing that particularly warms my heart though is that all the many birds depicted are all real species, accurately drawn, which is an unfortunately rare occurrence in picture books.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story of a crow gathering decorations or a Christmas tree is told in verse. It's short. It's nicely done. And I've shared it with a class that enjoyed it quite a bit, mostly for its illustrations.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's another wonderful Christmas book. Find it for next year if you need another good poetic holiday story about a crow who works hard to give everyone a Christmas surprise. "A button here, a feather there/A crow can find things anywhere!"

[Rosa Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautifully written in rhyming verses telling about how a crow shares her Christmas with the entire community. The illustrations follow the pretty verses and tells the story even without the poem.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations bring to life a merry crow gathering trinkets for a very special purpose on Christmas. In this gently story, children will love finding the crow within the pages and identifying what he is collecting.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

A crow gathers this and that. Best part: the ending. Ages: 4-10.

[Marianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated story of a resourceful crow who decorates a town tree in his very own special crow way.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A crow finds beautiful things all over town to decorate his christmas tree. This book has beautiful illustrations with fantastic details.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful Illustrations, Nice Text

[Michal Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful rhyming book about nature and celebration of Christmas extended outside as well as inside

[Anna Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations. Crow finds all kinds of scraps and decorates a tree with them. Not a whole lot of depth.

[Tracy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed the simple rhyming text and beautiful illustrations of a crow preparing to celebrate Christmas!

[Kristen B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A library coworker, knowing how much I love crows, pointed this book out to me right before Christmas. So of course I had to check it out! A smart, sweet crow (who is so cutely illustrated) spends the day gathering bits of sparkly, pretty things and uses them to decorate a Christmas tree for all the local wildlife to enjoy. At the end of the busy day, he snuggles up inside a Santa hat for a good night’s sleep. The text is simple rhyme that would appeal to young children and the adults who read to them. And the illustrations are busy enough that young eyes will enjoy searching to find all the little details. As they say, one man’s trash is another crow’s treasure.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

This clever Christmas tale has an unexpected hero, an ecstatic-looking crow.

Really, I've never seen a crow in real life -- or in picture books -- with such a look of wild delight in his beady black eyes.

Besides the happy ending, I love how this picture book celebrates creativity. Encouraging kids to create? Seems to me, that message that can help to make every day a holiday.

FIVE STARS for author Kathy Appelt and artist Jon Goodell.
From the Goodreads author of "Let Today Be a Holiday."

[skcocnaH · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[KA · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations weren't my cup of tea, but I love the story of this crow who turns junk into something beautiful. And so does my 5yo niece.

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Appelt Box #10
Rhyming story about crow and Christmas - some will admire, mostly forgettable.

[Emma Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute Christmas book!!

[Kat (kvcatnip) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Christmas book about a crow making its own Christmas tree!!!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful illustrations with a fun Christmas spirit.