Corvus: A Crow’s Story

by Shallen Anne Chitwood, Michael Schulbaum (Illustrator)

Corvus is a little crow with a big problem—he’s afraid to fly.

Clarence is a chatty caterpillar with big ideas. Together, these unlikely friends discover a world full of surprises, danger, and change.

Winter is coming, and a legendary one-eyed hawk is stalking the crow clan. With his family preparing to migrate south, Corvus must decide if he can trust his wings and himself. Can Clarence help Corvus face his fears and find the courage to fly before it’s too late?

As danger closes in, Corvus learns that help can come from mysterious allies and unexpected friends.

A Crow’s Story weaves real crow behavior and the butterfly life cycle into a heartfelt adventure about friendship, overcoming fear, and discovering who you are.

Perfect for classroom read-alouds, homeschool, and independent reading, Corvus includes discussion questions and Nature Notes to extend learning beyond the story.

Join Corvus and Clarence on an unforgettable journey filled with friendship, discovery, and lessons that last.

143 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 8, 2026

About the author

Shallen Anne Chitwood is the recipient of the 2025 Readers' Favorite Silver Medal for literary fiction and a Literary Titan's Gold Book Award winner for her debut novel Big Love and War Horse. She was born and raised in the Midwest. The time she spent on her grandparents' farm down South and the stories she heard as a young girl influenced her writing and her way of life. After earning her Master of Science in Education from Southern Illinois University, she moved to Tennessee, where she and her husband live on their own farm. When she isn't writing stories or poetry, Shallen can be found in the garden or tending to her furry and feathered friends.

Reviews

[Rebecca Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book on a giveaway. This is a good book especially for older elementary and middle grade children. It has a good message about overcoming fears and trying something that may seem hard. Engaging characters. I am glad that I read this book.

[Literary Titan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shallen Anne Chitwood’s Corvus is a warm and accessible children’s novel about courage, friendship, grief, and personal growth. Set among a community of crows living near a family farm, the story follows Corvus, a young crow whose fear of flying separates him from his siblings and threatens his place within the flock. His unlikely friendship with Clarence Silkwood, a proudly theatrical monarch caterpillar, gives the narrative its humor and emotional center. Together, their parallel journeys show that transformation can be physical, emotional, or both.

Clarence’s lively first-person narration makes the natural world feel immediate and entertaining. His elaborate titles, comic confidence, and conversational asides create a playful voice that should appeal to young readers, while his observations introduce facts about crows, monarch butterflies, migration, metamorphosis, and animal behavior. These educational elements are integrated into the characters’ experiences. The book’s central idea is expressed clearly when Clarence tells Corvus, “We all grow and change in our own way.”

The novel also gives meaningful attention to loss and responsibility. Valia’s devotion to Corvus, the Cedar Clan’s communal mourning, and Clarence’s acceptance of his limited lifespan allow the story to address death with honesty and tenderness. These scenes carry genuine emotional weight without losing sight of the intended audience. The book’s strongest moments often arise from simple acts of loyalty, as when Clarence observes, “Sometimes that is the best thing you can do for a friend. Just be there.” Such passages give the story a compassionate understanding of how friendship can sustain someone through fear and sorrow.

Corvus presents bravery as a quality developed through love, experience, and purposeful action. Corvus’s eventual flight is satisfying because it grows from everything he has learned about himself, his family, and his responsibility toward others. The conclusion brings the novel’s themes of metamorphosis and self-knowledge together while preserving the wonder and humor of Clarence’s narration. With its memorable animal characters, gentle instruction, and sincere emotional arc, Corvus offers young readers an engaging story about discovering the strength to become fully themselves.

[Kelly Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Corvus: A Crow’s Story” by Shallen Anne Chitwood is a delightful, poignant, and well-researched children’s tale featuring wonderful illustrations by Michael Schulbaum. The story depicts the intimate lives of crows and the value of friendship. The main character, Corvus, is a singular crow who inherits a special trait from his father, a single white feather in his forehead; this anomaly makes him subject to teasing by his peers. While his siblings leave the next, Corvus fears he will never learn to fly. The story is narrated by a Monarch caterpillar who lives in the crows’ nest, feeds on the milkweed leaves used to line the crows’ nest, and takes an avid interest in Corvus. One day, the caterpillar, Clarence, drums up the courage to introduce himself to Corvus, and an unlikely alliance begins. This lovely tale will captivate kids of all ages!