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Crow Call
Two-time Newbery medalist Lois Lowry has crafted a beautiful picture book about the power of longing and the importance of reconnection between a girl and her father in post-WWII America. This is the story of young Liz, her father, and their strained relationship. Dad has been away at WWII for longer than she can remember, and they begin their journey of reconnection through a hunting shirt, cherry pie, tender conversation, and the crow call. This allegorical story shows how, like the birds gathering above, the relationship between the girl and her father is graced with the chance to fly.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2009
16 people are currently reading
1062 people want to read
About the author
Lois Lowry
143 books22.8k followersTaken from Lowry's website:
"I’ve always felt that I was fortunate to have been born the middle child of three. My older sister, Helen, was very much like our mother: gentle, family-oriented, eager to please. Little brother Jon was the only boy and had interests that he shared with Dad; together they were always working on electric trains and erector sets; and later, when Jon was older, they always seemed to have their heads under the raised hood of a car. That left me in-between, and exactly where I wanted most to be: on my own. I was a solitary child who lived in the world of books and my own vivid imagination.
Because my father was a career military officer - an Army dentist - I lived all over the world. I was born in Hawaii, moved from there to New York, spent the years of World War II in my mother’s hometown: Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and from there went to Tokyo when I was eleven. High school was back in New York City, but by the time I went to college (Brown University in Rhode Island), my family was living in Washington, D.C.
I married young. I had just turned nineteen - just finished my sophomore year in college - when I married a Naval officer and continued the odyssey that military life requires. California. Connecticut (a daughter born there). Florida (a son). South Carolina. Finally Cambridge, Massachusetts, when my husband left the service and entered Harvard Law School (another daughter; another son) and then to Maine - by now with four children under the age of five in tow. My children grew up in Maine. So did I. I returned to college at the University of Southern Maine, got my degree, went to graduate school, and finally began to write professionally, the thing I had dreamed of doing since those childhood years when I had endlessly scribbled stories and poems in notebooks.
After my marriage ended in 1977, when I was forty, I settled into the life I have lived ever since. Today I am back in Cambridge, Massachusetts, living and writing in a house dominated by a very shaggy Tibetan Terrier named Bandit. For a change of scenery Martin and I spend time in Maine, where we have an old (it was built in 1768!) farmhouse on top of a hill. In Maine I garden, feed birds, entertain friends, and read...
My books have varied in content and style. Yet it seems that all of them deal, essentially, with the same general theme: the importance of human connections. A Summer to Die, my first book, was a highly fictionalized retelling of the early death of my sister, and of the effect of such a loss on a family. Number the Stars, set in a different culture and era, tells the same story: that of the role that we humans play in the lives of our fellow beings.
The Giver - and Gathering Blue, and the newest in the trilogy: Messenger - take place against the background of very different cultures and times. Though all three are broader in scope than my earlier books, they nonetheless speak to the same concern: the vital need of people to be aware of their interdependence, not only with each other, but with the world and its environment.
My older son was a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. His death in the cockpit of a warplane tore away a piece of my world. But it left me, too, with a wish to honor him by joining the many others trying to find a way to end conflict on this very fragile earth.
I am a grandmother now. For my own grandchildren - and for all those of their generation - I try, through writing, to convey my passionate awareness that we live intertwined on this planet and that our future depends upon our caring more, and doing more, for one another."
"I’ve always felt that I was fortunate to have been born the middle child of three. My older sister, Helen, was very much like our mother: gentle, family-oriented, eager to please. Little brother Jon was the only boy and had interests that he shared with Dad; together they were always working on electric trains and erector sets; and later, when Jon was older, they always seemed to have their heads under the raised hood of a car. That left me in-between, and exactly where I wanted most to be: on my own. I was a solitary child who lived in the world of books and my own vivid imagination.
Because my father was a career military officer - an Army dentist - I lived all over the world. I was born in Hawaii, moved from there to New York, spent the years of World War II in my mother’s hometown: Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and from there went to Tokyo when I was eleven. High school was back in New York City, but by the time I went to college (Brown University in Rhode Island), my family was living in Washington, D.C.
I married young. I had just turned nineteen - just finished my sophomore year in college - when I married a Naval officer and continued the odyssey that military life requires. California. Connecticut (a daughter born there). Florida (a son). South Carolina. Finally Cambridge, Massachusetts, when my husband left the service and entered Harvard Law School (another daughter; another son) and then to Maine - by now with four children under the age of five in tow. My children grew up in Maine. So did I. I returned to college at the University of Southern Maine, got my degree, went to graduate school, and finally began to write professionally, the thing I had dreamed of doing since those childhood years when I had endlessly scribbled stories and poems in notebooks.
After my marriage ended in 1977, when I was forty, I settled into the life I have lived ever since. Today I am back in Cambridge, Massachusetts, living and writing in a house dominated by a very shaggy Tibetan Terrier named Bandit. For a change of scenery Martin and I spend time in Maine, where we have an old (it was built in 1768!) farmhouse on top of a hill. In Maine I garden, feed birds, entertain friends, and read...
My books have varied in content and style. Yet it seems that all of them deal, essentially, with the same general theme: the importance of human connections. A Summer to Die, my first book, was a highly fictionalized retelling of the early death of my sister, and of the effect of such a loss on a family. Number the Stars, set in a different culture and era, tells the same story: that of the role that we humans play in the lives of our fellow beings.
The Giver - and Gathering Blue, and the newest in the trilogy: Messenger - take place against the background of very different cultures and times. Though all three are broader in scope than my earlier books, they nonetheless speak to the same concern: the vital need of people to be aware of their interdependence, not only with each other, but with the world and its environment.
My older son was a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. His death in the cockpit of a warplane tore away a piece of my world. But it left me, too, with a wish to honor him by joining the many others trying to find a way to end conflict on this very fragile earth.
I am a grandmother now. For my own grandchildren - and for all those of their generation - I try, through writing, to convey my passionate awareness that we live intertwined on this planet and that our future depends upon our caring more, and doing more, for one another."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 324 reviews
August 24, 2017
This story is based on events in Lois Lowry's life. My niece wandered why she wanted a shirt so big for her. I enjoyed the art. It brings up feelings of homey-ness and that kind of day Autumn has. It's more of a serious story about two people reaching out to one another. There is something touching about it. A beautiful story.
December 13, 2019
The prolific Lois Lowry, two-time winner of the Caldecott Medal for her children's fiction -
Number the Stars
was chosen in 1990, and
The Giver
in 1994 - made her picture-book debut with this lovely story from her own childhood, and the result is a distinct triumph! Lizzie, shy at first, spends the day with her father, who has recently returned home from fighting in World War II, and has become a stranger to her. Slowly, over the course of the day - cherry-pie breakfast at the diner, the gentle give-and-take of conversation during their drive, and then their crow hunt - they become acquainted once again. In a poignant moment made all the more moving for its quiet, understated presentation, they share their common experience of fear: the father during his wartime experience, Lizzie as she confronts this beloved stranger, with his quiet, and his gun. The gift that Lizzie's father gives her, in the end, is a powerful one, symbolizing his understanding of her needs, and commitment to provide for them. And so none of the crows that she calls into flight, that day, are killed...
A beautiful book that brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion, Crow Call boasts both a skilfully written text - one that captures each nuance of meaning, each shade of emotion, in the give and take between Lizzie and her father - and gorgeously realized artwork. Bagram Ibatoulline is an illustrator whose work on various fairy-tale adaptations was already well known to me, and I was pleased to see that he handled this realistic story with the same aplomb. The scenes depicted here were gorgeous! The story itself addressed so many important topics - the absence and return of a parent, the reconnection sometimes necessary, even between loved ones, the healing that soldiers and their families need, when returning to civilian life - without ever abandoning its quiet narrative. There's even an old photo of a young Lois Lowry, in the very over-sized men's hunting shirt worn by Lizzie in the story, at the end of the book! Highly, highly recommended, to young readers who appreciate family stories, and for those, young and old, looking for narratives about soldiers returning home.
A beautiful book that brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion, Crow Call boasts both a skilfully written text - one that captures each nuance of meaning, each shade of emotion, in the give and take between Lizzie and her father - and gorgeously realized artwork. Bagram Ibatoulline is an illustrator whose work on various fairy-tale adaptations was already well known to me, and I was pleased to see that he handled this realistic story with the same aplomb. The scenes depicted here were gorgeous! The story itself addressed so many important topics - the absence and return of a parent, the reconnection sometimes necessary, even between loved ones, the healing that soldiers and their families need, when returning to civilian life - without ever abandoning its quiet narrative. There's even an old photo of a young Lois Lowry, in the very over-sized men's hunting shirt worn by Lizzie in the story, at the end of the book! Highly, highly recommended, to young readers who appreciate family stories, and for those, young and old, looking for narratives about soldiers returning home.
May 24, 2011
Crow Call is a wonderful, thoughtful picture book that will appeal especially to children in rural parts of the country.
The wonderful illustrations are a standout feature--they shine with realism and a definite sense of time and place.
Young Liz’s father has just returned from the war. She is happy to see him, but more than a little shy, too. On their first outing together, Liz’s father takes her crow hunting. The little girl is honored to be in charge of using the crow call, but has more than a few reserves when she sees he father carrying his gun. Even the word hunter makes her uneasy.
Nonetheless, Liz uses the crow call when she is supposed to, and is amazed and overjoyed when the trees around her fill with cawing, flapping crows. Her father chooses not to aim his gun. Instead, he sits down and watches the joyful scene.
So many great elements here—father and daughter enjoying nature together instead of destroying it; a strong male figure choosing not to hunt; a former soldier who perhaps no longer wants to participate in killing (this was inferred, not stated explicitly); the re-appropriation of a “hunting” device (a call) in a nonviolent fashion.
The wonderful illustrations are a standout feature--they shine with realism and a definite sense of time and place.
Young Liz’s father has just returned from the war. She is happy to see him, but more than a little shy, too. On their first outing together, Liz’s father takes her crow hunting. The little girl is honored to be in charge of using the crow call, but has more than a few reserves when she sees he father carrying his gun. Even the word hunter makes her uneasy.
Nonetheless, Liz uses the crow call when she is supposed to, and is amazed and overjoyed when the trees around her fill with cawing, flapping crows. Her father chooses not to aim his gun. Instead, he sits down and watches the joyful scene.
So many great elements here—father and daughter enjoying nature together instead of destroying it; a strong male figure choosing not to hunt; a former soldier who perhaps no longer wants to participate in killing (this was inferred, not stated explicitly); the re-appropriation of a “hunting” device (a call) in a nonviolent fashion.
July 29, 2016
An autobiographical story about a young girl accompanying a father she hardly knows on an early morning outing to hunt crows. Dad has been fighting in World War II, and is now home to run the farm again. This expedition together is about more than just hunting--it's about a father and daughter getting to know each other. It's beautifully told, with a perfect ending, as her father understands what it is that his daughter really wants. The last page of the story has a photo of the author, Lois Lowry, wearing the plaid flannel shirt in the story. The illustrations are told in soft, muted earth colors, as if from a long time ago. Bagram Ibatoulline reveals in the dedication that his favorite American artist is Andrew Wyeth, and his illustrations clearly reflect that-- a perfect style for this story. Outstanding!
September 7, 2016
I bought this book at a library sale. I have to say the art work in this book is absolutely beautiful. The art work in this book makes the story just as interesting and lively story itself. However, I'm not sure what grade or age this story is intended for, but I read this to my five year old a fit was a bit "wordy." All and I I would recommend this book.
April 7, 2018
A very well-written short story, taken from the writer's own life events, thus giving it an autobiographical vibe. It's a story about a father-daughter relationship, each reaching out to other after their long separation due to the WW2.
The event of the story takes place on a single morning when Liz wakes up to find herself sitting in a car, next to a stranger whom she practises to call 'daddy'. They are going hunting on a crow calling adventure. As the morning breaks up and the adventure continues, the duo find themselves opening up to each-other and creating their own private jokes which will work for cementing their relationship in the future.
The narrative in this story is clearly written in a way that's suitable for the young readers. But if you look closer to the surface, you can see how brilliant the narrative technique is. It actually seems like a little girl experiencing something for the first time in life and gathers the reader's attention in such a way that he finds himself remembering his interactions with his father growing up.
The event of the story takes place on a single morning when Liz wakes up to find herself sitting in a car, next to a stranger whom she practises to call 'daddy'. They are going hunting on a crow calling adventure. As the morning breaks up and the adventure continues, the duo find themselves opening up to each-other and creating their own private jokes which will work for cementing their relationship in the future.
The narrative in this story is clearly written in a way that's suitable for the young readers. But if you look closer to the surface, you can see how brilliant the narrative technique is. It actually seems like a little girl experiencing something for the first time in life and gathers the reader's attention in such a way that he finds himself remembering his interactions with his father growing up.
January 5, 2018
My son brought this book home from his school library. What a gem! We both really enjoyed the story and illustrations. Great read. My 6 year old says it deserves 5 stars! :)
March 12, 2021
What a beautiful children's book!
January 22, 2010
This is Newbery Award winner (and author of my favourite book) Lois Lowry's first picture book. She couldn't have done a better job.
Lois Lowry is the author of The Giver along with many other young adult and children's books. I'd like to share what Lois Lowry says on her website about the book:
"This is my first-ever picture book, a true story about a day I spent with my father after he returned from World War II. The illustrations were beautifully done by artist Bagram Ibatoulline. He had a photograph of me at age 9, wearing the too-large plaid shirt that is described in the story. Looking at his pictures is like looking into a magic telescope and seeing myself as a child."
The story is absolutely beautiful. Daddy buys her a special gift to remember him by before he goes to the war. When he returns, the two of them go out on a autumn morning, share some pie and they continue to Pennsylvania farmlands to hunt crows together. Liz (the girl) is unsure about hurting the birds but doesn't want to disappoint her father. She learns to call the crows and about how they wreck the crops but she's still not sure. I won't spoil the ending but I do want to say no crows are harmed in this book.
Now I was worried about this book as I don't like the idea of hunting so I was glad of the ending. I don't think I'll be reading it to my children personally but it was a very sweet story and is deserving of 5 stars. I must say though that I'd put the ages at 6-9 instead of 4-8.
Lois Lowry is the author of The Giver along with many other young adult and children's books. I'd like to share what Lois Lowry says on her website about the book:
"This is my first-ever picture book, a true story about a day I spent with my father after he returned from World War II. The illustrations were beautifully done by artist Bagram Ibatoulline. He had a photograph of me at age 9, wearing the too-large plaid shirt that is described in the story. Looking at his pictures is like looking into a magic telescope and seeing myself as a child."
The story is absolutely beautiful. Daddy buys her a special gift to remember him by before he goes to the war. When he returns, the two of them go out on a autumn morning, share some pie and they continue to Pennsylvania farmlands to hunt crows together. Liz (the girl) is unsure about hurting the birds but doesn't want to disappoint her father. She learns to call the crows and about how they wreck the crops but she's still not sure. I won't spoil the ending but I do want to say no crows are harmed in this book.
Now I was worried about this book as I don't like the idea of hunting so I was glad of the ending. I don't think I'll be reading it to my children personally but it was a very sweet story and is deserving of 5 stars. I must say though that I'd put the ages at 6-9 instead of 4-8.
December 4, 2013
It was funny that I picked up this new addition to our local library the day I got the message from Julie and Shannon about wanting to read this book.
I enjoyed the way Lowry created a warm yet mysterious relationship between a young girl and her father, newly returned from the war. The story, about bonding over some innocuous event, is powerful, especially learning that this was a story about Lois herself.
She's a great author, of children's and YA books. I had the pleasure of meeting her at a conference and getting her to sign my copy of The Giver. I'll forever be a fan!
I enjoyed the way Lowry created a warm yet mysterious relationship between a young girl and her father, newly returned from the war. The story, about bonding over some innocuous event, is powerful, especially learning that this was a story about Lois herself.
She's a great author, of children's and YA books. I had the pleasure of meeting her at a conference and getting her to sign my copy of The Giver. I'll forever be a fan!
March 30, 2017
This was a sweet picture book about a girl beginning to reconnect with her father after his return from war. I wanted to check it out because I didn't realize Lois Lowry had written a picture book, and I've liked what I've read of her chapter books. It looks like it was a very personal story for her, too. The illustrations are wonderful -- so clear, expressive, and evocative. I think that both my children are a bit young for it still (2 and 4), but I'm glad I read it anyway.
April 1, 2017
Summary: Liz’s father has been away at war for some time and he tries to reconnect with his daughter by taking her crow hunting. Before the embark into the woods, they go get breakfast and buy her a shirt was has been wanting. When they get into the woods Liz is responsible for the crow call, a pivotal tool used to call crows. Uneasy, she walks through the woods with her dad shyly speaking to him. When it comes time for her to use the crow call, she is faced with a decision that will change her life.
Point of View: This book is told by Liz in the first person point of view. I know this because when Liz speaks, the story contains the words “I”. For example, “Daddy”, I ask shyly “were you scared in the war?” In this example, we can see from the text that Liz is shy around her dad and possibly even a little nervous, this is also the second time the narration mentions her being shy around him. By narrating the story through Liz’s eyes, we are only able to see her thoughts and emotions. This contributes to the story in the way that it allows us to see how her dad being gone affected her and how his return is affecting her. I think the author chose to narrate in first person because it gives readers the perspective how to an absent parent that comes back into their life can affect a kid.
Theme: The theme in the book is to be courageous. Liz displays unusual courage throughout the book but especially during the walk through the woods with her dad. She admits to being scared and through the rest of the book we can see that she goes beyond her fears and faces them. For example, “Are you scared now?“ I start to say no. Then I remember the word that scares me. Hunter. A few pages before this scene Liz admits that the word hunter makes her feel uneasy and that she’s afraid to walk in front of a man with a gun, which is her dad. By the end of the story we can see her courage allowed her to face her fears and even her biggest fear of being with someone unfamiliar to her, yet who she seeks the most approval from. This contributes to the story in the way that it shows the reader how much of an affect courage can have on a person and that being courageous can lead to amazing outcomes. At the end of the book, Liz holds her dads hand, symbolizing that they were able to close the gap between them and reconnect as father and daughter.
Color: The color palette in this book sets the mood. The illustrator uses dark shadowy earth tones in the beginning of the story that contribute to a gloomy melancholic mood. For example, in the woods there are lots of dark black / brown undertones which gave me a sense of mystery and dullness in that I was unsure if they would be successful in being able to reconnect. However, as soon as Liz blew the crow call, the illustrations lightened up and there was more white in the pictures signifying a new beginning for Liz and her dad. This contributes to the story in that the colors are linked to our emotions and our experiences and through the colors that are chosen, our mood and emotions can quickly change from page to page to what they author intends for us to feel.
Motif: The crows are a symbol of what Liz’s relationship with her dad has the potential to become. For example, before they get to the woods, Liz and her dad talk about crow hunting and Liz says she is scared as she has never been before. This is symbolism for wanting to let her dad in but not knowing how. When they get to the forest and she blows the crows call and the birds surround her, she is letting go of her fears and letting her self be vulnerable and let her dad back into her life through their conversations and bonding time in the woods. This contributes to the story in the way that I could see the significance of going crow hunting and that the crows were a symbol for Liz’s fear of reconnecting with her dad. This allowed be to further explore the underlying theme of the story.
Historical Fiction Genre Relation: A historical fiction book takes place in a setting in the past, and the details fit the time and place. For example, in the diner scene there are signs up on the walls advertising for various food items for purchase. For example, there is a sign for a 49 cent hamburger and 25 cent donut. Also, we can tell what time period it is because of the way the waitress is dressed and the type of car they are driving. It is also categorized as a historical fiction book because the plot is based on a true story about the author and her dad depicted with fictional characters.
Opinion: My first impression of this book was that I liked that it was a Newberry Medal Winner and I wanted to read it to see what made it one. Upon finishing the book, I could see why it won this prestigious award. I really enjoyed the real life like illustrations and that they were depicted beautifully. The combination of water color and acryl-gouache gave the book an ‘old photograph’ feel to it. This feel is what gave me a sense of that it was set back in an older time period than today. I also liked the way the author depicted the relationship between Liz and her dad at the end, holding hands and smiling faces as if their relationship never changed.
Point of View: This book is told by Liz in the first person point of view. I know this because when Liz speaks, the story contains the words “I”. For example, “Daddy”, I ask shyly “were you scared in the war?” In this example, we can see from the text that Liz is shy around her dad and possibly even a little nervous, this is also the second time the narration mentions her being shy around him. By narrating the story through Liz’s eyes, we are only able to see her thoughts and emotions. This contributes to the story in the way that it allows us to see how her dad being gone affected her and how his return is affecting her. I think the author chose to narrate in first person because it gives readers the perspective how to an absent parent that comes back into their life can affect a kid.
Theme: The theme in the book is to be courageous. Liz displays unusual courage throughout the book but especially during the walk through the woods with her dad. She admits to being scared and through the rest of the book we can see that she goes beyond her fears and faces them. For example, “Are you scared now?“ I start to say no. Then I remember the word that scares me. Hunter. A few pages before this scene Liz admits that the word hunter makes her feel uneasy and that she’s afraid to walk in front of a man with a gun, which is her dad. By the end of the story we can see her courage allowed her to face her fears and even her biggest fear of being with someone unfamiliar to her, yet who she seeks the most approval from. This contributes to the story in the way that it shows the reader how much of an affect courage can have on a person and that being courageous can lead to amazing outcomes. At the end of the book, Liz holds her dads hand, symbolizing that they were able to close the gap between them and reconnect as father and daughter.
Color: The color palette in this book sets the mood. The illustrator uses dark shadowy earth tones in the beginning of the story that contribute to a gloomy melancholic mood. For example, in the woods there are lots of dark black / brown undertones which gave me a sense of mystery and dullness in that I was unsure if they would be successful in being able to reconnect. However, as soon as Liz blew the crow call, the illustrations lightened up and there was more white in the pictures signifying a new beginning for Liz and her dad. This contributes to the story in that the colors are linked to our emotions and our experiences and through the colors that are chosen, our mood and emotions can quickly change from page to page to what they author intends for us to feel.
Motif: The crows are a symbol of what Liz’s relationship with her dad has the potential to become. For example, before they get to the woods, Liz and her dad talk about crow hunting and Liz says she is scared as she has never been before. This is symbolism for wanting to let her dad in but not knowing how. When they get to the forest and she blows the crows call and the birds surround her, she is letting go of her fears and letting her self be vulnerable and let her dad back into her life through their conversations and bonding time in the woods. This contributes to the story in the way that I could see the significance of going crow hunting and that the crows were a symbol for Liz’s fear of reconnecting with her dad. This allowed be to further explore the underlying theme of the story.
Historical Fiction Genre Relation: A historical fiction book takes place in a setting in the past, and the details fit the time and place. For example, in the diner scene there are signs up on the walls advertising for various food items for purchase. For example, there is a sign for a 49 cent hamburger and 25 cent donut. Also, we can tell what time period it is because of the way the waitress is dressed and the type of car they are driving. It is also categorized as a historical fiction book because the plot is based on a true story about the author and her dad depicted with fictional characters.
Opinion: My first impression of this book was that I liked that it was a Newberry Medal Winner and I wanted to read it to see what made it one. Upon finishing the book, I could see why it won this prestigious award. I really enjoyed the real life like illustrations and that they were depicted beautifully. The combination of water color and acryl-gouache gave the book an ‘old photograph’ feel to it. This feel is what gave me a sense of that it was set back in an older time period than today. I also liked the way the author depicted the relationship between Liz and her dad at the end, holding hands and smiling faces as if their relationship never changed.
May 24, 2021
Liz and her father leave their home for an early morning outing together after his time away at war. The pair go along together trying to reestablish their relationship by having a special breakfast and taking part in an early morning hunt. That's when she learns the art of the Crow Call, and their father-daughter relationship of old is reborn. Follow Liz and her father on their way in Crow Call by Lois Lowry.
According to Children's Literature, Briefly, chapter 13 one characteristic of good historical fiction is that history should not be sugarcoated, and handles with frankness. As Lois Lowry shares events in her own life that she shared with her father they are done so in a fictional format where the protagonist Liz goes hunting with her father. Crow Call illustrates moments in history taking place following 'the war' where the father has been gone for 'so so long' as written in the text, and is visibly seen in the diner as the waitress assumes Liz is a boy. The time period of the story is also implied because the sales clerk takes and folds the rainbow flannel for the characters during the shared memory. Lastly, Lois Lowry shares a personal photo and recounting a personal memory from her childhood that inspired her to write Crow Call. Children's Literature, Briefly, chapter 13 indicates that new realism in children's literature launched a trend that dictated more honesty in the writing of realistic fiction; and included topics that once were considered taboo or uncomfortable for readers, to include hunting or a parent returning from war like in Crow Call.
Crow Call was a really interesting and resonated with me as a reader and I found Lois Lowry's sharing of a moment in her life special. My seven year old was happy that Liz got a rainbow shirt, and she got to have father-daughter time like she does.
If Lois Lowry's Crow Call resonated with you like it did with us look into other books like Gathering Blue, Son or Number the Stars. Enjoy!
According to Children's Literature, Briefly, chapter 13 one characteristic of good historical fiction is that history should not be sugarcoated, and handles with frankness. As Lois Lowry shares events in her own life that she shared with her father they are done so in a fictional format where the protagonist Liz goes hunting with her father. Crow Call illustrates moments in history taking place following 'the war' where the father has been gone for 'so so long' as written in the text, and is visibly seen in the diner as the waitress assumes Liz is a boy. The time period of the story is also implied because the sales clerk takes and folds the rainbow flannel for the characters during the shared memory. Lastly, Lois Lowry shares a personal photo and recounting a personal memory from her childhood that inspired her to write Crow Call. Children's Literature, Briefly, chapter 13 indicates that new realism in children's literature launched a trend that dictated more honesty in the writing of realistic fiction; and included topics that once were considered taboo or uncomfortable for readers, to include hunting or a parent returning from war like in Crow Call.
Crow Call was a really interesting and resonated with me as a reader and I found Lois Lowry's sharing of a moment in her life special. My seven year old was happy that Liz got a rainbow shirt, and she got to have father-daughter time like she does.
If Lois Lowry's Crow Call resonated with you like it did with us look into other books like Gathering Blue, Son or Number the Stars. Enjoy!
April 2, 2017
Summary: Liz’s father has been away at war longer than she can remember. Upon his return, he decides to have a father daughter afternoon, by taking her crow hunting. Their day starts out by visiting a store where Liz has been wanting a certain rainbow plaid shirt. They head to a diner for breakfast then to the woods where Liz’s father puts her in charge of the crow call. Thus being her first time, she was so nervous, but couldn’t believe what happened after the first time she tried it.
Impression: Lois Lowry being a new berry award winner, is already well known. I scrolled through, and was really impressed with the illustrations. The front cover of the book was what had me persuaded. I’m always a sucker for animal novels. After reading, I think this has a great storyline, the fact that it is real and the events did happen make it even better!
Color: The color palate used in this book was used to set the mood. One of the first things I noticed was how the illustrations had an ‘old time feel’ to them. The illustrator, Bagram uses darker color tones to show the shyness between Liz and her father. He also uses this color choice to portray the time ara of when this book took place. The mood switched toward the end of the book. At first, when Liz and her dad were walking into the woods, I could feel tension and anxiousness. We knew Liz was nervous to use the crow call, then after she used it, the sky got pinker. There were smiles, giggles and happiness coming from both of them.
Representational: In opening 8, On the left hand side, positioned in the middle is the text for the page. The writing is also aligned in the center. Above it, is a mini picture of the rainbow plaid shirt. On the right side, we have Liz, her father and the store clerk.positioned around the rainbow plaid shirt. The author arranged the shirt in the middle of everyone, showing the importance and how symbolic that item is to her.
Point of view: The Crow Call is told in first person by Liz, the daughter. Throughout the book she speaks using “I” or “me”. For instance, “I practice his name to myself, whispering under my breath. daddy. Daddy.”. In this example we can see that liz is feeling uncomfortable in front of her own father. I think the author narrated the story coming from Liz to show readers how absent parents, can affect children. Although he is family, she is feeling like he doesn’t know her like he should.
Character: The only characters represented in this picture book are Liz and her father. Liz being the main character is a dynamic character. The impact of events shapes or reshapes the personality of the character. The author had Liz in the beginning of the story acting shy, nervous and anxious compared to the end of the book when she was smiling, giggling and happy to have her father back. In this short picture book the reader can see the events that lead to her opening up.
Historical fiction: Well written historical fiction combines an exciting story with historical facts. They are placed in the past, the time and place determine the setting. There are multiple clues within the illustrations to give away a time era. First off, the pictures have that ‘old photography’ feel, secondly, the car that Liz's dad is driving, is not a common car nowadays. Thirdly, the illustration where they are in the diner shows the outfits of customers. Top hats for men was more in style then. Also, the signs on the wall in the diner says “49 cent hamburgers” food isn’t this cheap anymore.
Impression: Lois Lowry being a new berry award winner, is already well known. I scrolled through, and was really impressed with the illustrations. The front cover of the book was what had me persuaded. I’m always a sucker for animal novels. After reading, I think this has a great storyline, the fact that it is real and the events did happen make it even better!
Color: The color palate used in this book was used to set the mood. One of the first things I noticed was how the illustrations had an ‘old time feel’ to them. The illustrator, Bagram uses darker color tones to show the shyness between Liz and her father. He also uses this color choice to portray the time ara of when this book took place. The mood switched toward the end of the book. At first, when Liz and her dad were walking into the woods, I could feel tension and anxiousness. We knew Liz was nervous to use the crow call, then after she used it, the sky got pinker. There were smiles, giggles and happiness coming from both of them.
Representational: In opening 8, On the left hand side, positioned in the middle is the text for the page. The writing is also aligned in the center. Above it, is a mini picture of the rainbow plaid shirt. On the right side, we have Liz, her father and the store clerk.positioned around the rainbow plaid shirt. The author arranged the shirt in the middle of everyone, showing the importance and how symbolic that item is to her.
Point of view: The Crow Call is told in first person by Liz, the daughter. Throughout the book she speaks using “I” or “me”. For instance, “I practice his name to myself, whispering under my breath. daddy. Daddy.”. In this example we can see that liz is feeling uncomfortable in front of her own father. I think the author narrated the story coming from Liz to show readers how absent parents, can affect children. Although he is family, she is feeling like he doesn’t know her like he should.
Character: The only characters represented in this picture book are Liz and her father. Liz being the main character is a dynamic character. The impact of events shapes or reshapes the personality of the character. The author had Liz in the beginning of the story acting shy, nervous and anxious compared to the end of the book when she was smiling, giggling and happy to have her father back. In this short picture book the reader can see the events that lead to her opening up.
Historical fiction: Well written historical fiction combines an exciting story with historical facts. They are placed in the past, the time and place determine the setting. There are multiple clues within the illustrations to give away a time era. First off, the pictures have that ‘old photography’ feel, secondly, the car that Liz's dad is driving, is not a common car nowadays. Thirdly, the illustration where they are in the diner shows the outfits of customers. Top hats for men was more in style then. Also, the signs on the wall in the diner says “49 cent hamburgers” food isn’t this cheap anymore.
April 2, 2017
Crow Call, By Lois Lowry, is a post-world-war-two story about a girl’s, Liz, day with her dad. Their day starts early in the morning. They make their way into town for some errands before they go into the woods; the need to go crow hunting and Liz is in charge of calling the crows. As the day progresses, Liz and her father talk and get to bond with each other.
The story is told in a chronological order- it starts early in the morning and ends in the afternoon. It’s told through Liz’s point of view, revealing some very deep thoughts. There’s a line in the story that says, “I sit shyly in the front seat of the car next to the stranger who is my father.” Being honest, that line gave me chills down my back; it’s not something a little girl would normally think about their father. Both of the characters are very rounded. The father was kind of hesitant at first to talk to his daughter. It wasn’t until Lizzie talked to him, that he started a conversation. Because he had just come back from the war, he also had unique point of views; instead of getting mad at the crows for eating the crops, he said that they didn’t know better, relating it to soldiers decisions during the war. It started off as a distant relationship between father and daughter and ended as close loved ones.
The writing changes as the story progresses as well. For the first couple pages, the sentences in the book are short and simple. As the father and daughter keep spending time together, there is more dialogue and with greater description. On most of the pages, the text is either on the left page or on the right page. It’s placed in the center with a beige background. The text is very small as well; it doesn’t cover the whole page making it feel as if it were isolated. This coincides with the illustrations and the time setting. In the book, there are only two scenes where there are characters other than the father and Lizzie; the world these characters reside in, for the most part, feels very empty.
The illustrations in this book are gorgeous. The illustrator went with photorealistic illustrations and sepia toned colors, giving the pictures an antique-photo quality to them; not to mention that the story takes place during winter, when everything is on a gray color scale. Without the illustrations, the story wouldn’t have been as impactful; they enhance the text quite a bit. The father’s facial expressions aren’t really covered in the text, and that is something that adds to the character. His face is very still and dead as if he was a mannequin; this kind of signifying that the war is still inside of him.
The story falls under the Historical realism genre. The book follows actual events of the author, Lois Lowry. This detail isn’t known until the end page of the book, where there’s a photograph of her wearing the clothes in the illustrations. The events took place in 1945, right after the war. The actual story didn’t state what era this story to place in; this was revealed by the illustrations, gradually. The car the father drove was a dead giveaway that the story took place in the distant past. However, it wasn’t until the scene with the diner that gave away the time period; the advertisements on the walls and the other characters apparel, gave it away. The writing it’s self didn’t give any hints to what era the story took place in. if the end page hadn’t reveled that it took place in 1945, I could’ve easily thought that the father could’ve just come back from the war in Iraq.
The story is told in a chronological order- it starts early in the morning and ends in the afternoon. It’s told through Liz’s point of view, revealing some very deep thoughts. There’s a line in the story that says, “I sit shyly in the front seat of the car next to the stranger who is my father.” Being honest, that line gave me chills down my back; it’s not something a little girl would normally think about their father. Both of the characters are very rounded. The father was kind of hesitant at first to talk to his daughter. It wasn’t until Lizzie talked to him, that he started a conversation. Because he had just come back from the war, he also had unique point of views; instead of getting mad at the crows for eating the crops, he said that they didn’t know better, relating it to soldiers decisions during the war. It started off as a distant relationship between father and daughter and ended as close loved ones.
The writing changes as the story progresses as well. For the first couple pages, the sentences in the book are short and simple. As the father and daughter keep spending time together, there is more dialogue and with greater description. On most of the pages, the text is either on the left page or on the right page. It’s placed in the center with a beige background. The text is very small as well; it doesn’t cover the whole page making it feel as if it were isolated. This coincides with the illustrations and the time setting. In the book, there are only two scenes where there are characters other than the father and Lizzie; the world these characters reside in, for the most part, feels very empty.
The illustrations in this book are gorgeous. The illustrator went with photorealistic illustrations and sepia toned colors, giving the pictures an antique-photo quality to them; not to mention that the story takes place during winter, when everything is on a gray color scale. Without the illustrations, the story wouldn’t have been as impactful; they enhance the text quite a bit. The father’s facial expressions aren’t really covered in the text, and that is something that adds to the character. His face is very still and dead as if he was a mannequin; this kind of signifying that the war is still inside of him.
The story falls under the Historical realism genre. The book follows actual events of the author, Lois Lowry. This detail isn’t known until the end page of the book, where there’s a photograph of her wearing the clothes in the illustrations. The events took place in 1945, right after the war. The actual story didn’t state what era this story to place in; this was revealed by the illustrations, gradually. The car the father drove was a dead giveaway that the story took place in the distant past. However, it wasn’t until the scene with the diner that gave away the time period; the advertisements on the walls and the other characters apparel, gave it away. The writing it’s self didn’t give any hints to what era the story took place in. if the end page hadn’t reveled that it took place in 1945, I could’ve easily thought that the father could’ve just come back from the war in Iraq.
April 2, 2017
Crow Call, written by Lois Lowry and illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline, depicts the touching story of a young girl and her father reconnecting after World War II. The young girl, Liz, narrates the story how her father has been away at war, so she doesn’t know him that well anymore. As a stranger to her, they start their reconnection with a new hunting shirt, cherry pie from a diner, and a crow call to use when they go hunting. I was a little wary going into the book because I generally don’t care for historical fiction books; however, I came out of reading it loving it. With its beautifully drawn illustrations, its heartwarming story, and its symbolism with the birds, readers of all ages will love this book.
The setting of Crow Call is set in post-WWII America. This setting allows younger readers to draw connections and learn about the war without it being a severe war story of death and pain. For example, Liz says, “I sit shyly in the front seat of the car next to the stranger who is my father.” Readers understand from this how broken families became from the war. The tone of the picturebook is a little bit wary and shy, but also nostalgic. For example, Liz says, “I want to scamper ahead of him like a puppy, kicking the dead leaves and reach the unknown places first, but there is an uneasy feeling along the edge of my back at the thought of walking in front of someone who is a hunter.” This creates this feeling of uncertainty from Liz, who is narrating about her first experience with her father back from the war.
Ibatoulline uses the use of vertical vectors to create distance from Liz and her father. On the second page when they are in the car, Liz and her father are separated by the start of a line from the chrome detail on the car and by the reflection of trees off the car windshield. This furthers the idea that Liz and her father aren’t very close; like Liz says, he is a stranger to her. Ibatoulline utilizes gaze to display the uncertainty between Liz and her father at first, and then the reconnection between them as they start to bond throughout their day spent together. Readers first see this reconnection through their gaze when they are at the diner talking about their favorite food. Both of them are staring at each other directly into each other’s eyes.
Crow Call is a historical fiction picturebook because it has a very realistic setting. Set in post-WWII America, although the story happens to be a true story, it could have also been fictional. Lois Lowry says, “the details of this story are true. They happened in 1945, to me and my father. But parents and children groping toward understanding each other- that happens to everyone. And so this story is not really just my story, but everyone’s.”
The setting of Crow Call is set in post-WWII America. This setting allows younger readers to draw connections and learn about the war without it being a severe war story of death and pain. For example, Liz says, “I sit shyly in the front seat of the car next to the stranger who is my father.” Readers understand from this how broken families became from the war. The tone of the picturebook is a little bit wary and shy, but also nostalgic. For example, Liz says, “I want to scamper ahead of him like a puppy, kicking the dead leaves and reach the unknown places first, but there is an uneasy feeling along the edge of my back at the thought of walking in front of someone who is a hunter.” This creates this feeling of uncertainty from Liz, who is narrating about her first experience with her father back from the war.
Ibatoulline uses the use of vertical vectors to create distance from Liz and her father. On the second page when they are in the car, Liz and her father are separated by the start of a line from the chrome detail on the car and by the reflection of trees off the car windshield. This furthers the idea that Liz and her father aren’t very close; like Liz says, he is a stranger to her. Ibatoulline utilizes gaze to display the uncertainty between Liz and her father at first, and then the reconnection between them as they start to bond throughout their day spent together. Readers first see this reconnection through their gaze when they are at the diner talking about their favorite food. Both of them are staring at each other directly into each other’s eyes.
Crow Call is a historical fiction picturebook because it has a very realistic setting. Set in post-WWII America, although the story happens to be a true story, it could have also been fictional. Lois Lowry says, “the details of this story are true. They happened in 1945, to me and my father. But parents and children groping toward understanding each other- that happens to everyone. And so this story is not really just my story, but everyone’s.”
November 13, 2020
Crow Call is a story about a little girl reuniting and rebuilding a relationship with her father who recently returned from WWII. The father takes his daughter out for a new shirt, a stop at the diner, and eventually get to their spot for her first hunting trip. The two are able to learn a lot about each other during their day spent together.
This book is based on the authors life but is categorized as historical fiction. According to Children’s Literature, Briefly, a book is considered historical fiction when “the story is a fictionalized account of the time period and events experienced by the author but often written about years later.” This story is fictionalized by making the father and daughter into characters rather than having them depict the actual people. The conversations are not meant to be exact; they are there to share the memories and feelings of the experience in time, and also to drive the story. The illustrations do a great job of bringing this post WWII era to life.
I recommend this book. I feel like it gives a realistic glimpse of what families were dealing with after the war and what families deal with still to this day. It is well written, and the illustrations are amazing and add so much to the story. If you enjoy this book, check out The Giver also by Lois Lowry.
This book is based on the authors life but is categorized as historical fiction. According to Children’s Literature, Briefly, a book is considered historical fiction when “the story is a fictionalized account of the time period and events experienced by the author but often written about years later.” This story is fictionalized by making the father and daughter into characters rather than having them depict the actual people. The conversations are not meant to be exact; they are there to share the memories and feelings of the experience in time, and also to drive the story. The illustrations do a great job of bringing this post WWII era to life.
I recommend this book. I feel like it gives a realistic glimpse of what families were dealing with after the war and what families deal with still to this day. It is well written, and the illustrations are amazing and add so much to the story. If you enjoy this book, check out The Giver also by Lois Lowry.
February 27, 2018
I decided to use "The Crow Call" by Lowis Lowry as my historical fiction book. I think that this book could fall under many genres, but I chose to use it as historical fiction because it takes place in 1945, it briefly mentions the War, and it shows a father/daughter relationship that many people may have. I think that this book would be great to use with second through fourth graders. The text isn't too complex, but it's not too easy either. "The Crow Call" is about a young girl and her father's new relationship after he returns from War. I think that this book would be a great tool for inspiring conversation. I would use this book to spark discussions about relationships and how to build them and I would discuss the variety of relationships people can have. Many students think that every family is exactly like theirs and this book would help show them that is not the case. The book also talks a little bit about gender stereotypes, which would make it a great text to use as an example. I chose this book as a WOW-book because of the message behind it and the illustrations within it. I love reading about father/daughter relationships and I love that the relationship was awkward at first, but then they began to understand each other over time.
October 2, 2019
I thought that this story is almost like a real childhood memory and it turns out that it is a real story of the author's childhood. Her father came back from war and she felt almost estranged or distant from him because of the time spent apart. The crow call is symbolic for the call of war and having to hunt and kill the birds that destroy the crops is the father's duty to kill at war in order to save his people from being killed. He shelters his daughter from having to see the pain and death of war by not killing the crows. And in turn she has a splendid memory of her father.
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April 2, 2017Crow Call is a children's picture book about a young girl who is a stranger to her father since hes been in the war so long. They go out for the morning to go hunting for crows and she tells him she is scared of hunting(because of his rifle).I thought the book was very meaningful to me, I can somewhat relate to being a stranger to my father as the girl is in the book.
The plot of Crow call is the father and daughter go to a diner to have breakfast, they then head out to the forest to hunt. They get out of the car to go hunt and as they walk along Liz, the girl, tells her father she is scared. They keep walking and she begins to call the crows with her crow call until there are about a hundred. I think that in this book the fathers character changed a bit in the end of the book from what you would expect him to do.
Almost all of the pictures/illustrations are bleeds, they are also in a very pasteley bland color scheme. On some of the other pages have a solid color background along with a circular frame around a picture.
The genre of this book is Historical fiction, it was based on a true story from 1945. It is historical fiction because it happened over 60 years ago, it also may not be entirely true to the whole real story.
The plot of Crow call is the father and daughter go to a diner to have breakfast, they then head out to the forest to hunt. They get out of the car to go hunt and as they walk along Liz, the girl, tells her father she is scared. They keep walking and she begins to call the crows with her crow call until there are about a hundred. I think that in this book the fathers character changed a bit in the end of the book from what you would expect him to do.
Almost all of the pictures/illustrations are bleeds, they are also in a very pasteley bland color scheme. On some of the other pages have a solid color background along with a circular frame around a picture.
The genre of this book is Historical fiction, it was based on a true story from 1945. It is historical fiction because it happened over 60 years ago, it also may not be entirely true to the whole real story.
August 3, 2018
Wonderful story about a daughter and a father getting to know one another after a long absence filled with glorious drawings in sepia tones of fading memories. Beautiful book.
May 15, 2024
Beautiful book
February 3, 2022
A lovely book about spoken and unspoken communication, the renewing of relationship, and of course, love.
February 5, 2018
This book is a Notable Children’s Book Award winner and has been reviewed by Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews and Childrens Literature. Drawn from the author’s personal experience, the book depicts a young girls experience of connecting with her father on a hunting trip after he has been away fighting in the war. Her father is basically a stranger to her and Lowry does a great job of showing and not telling readers how awkward and at times unsure the girl feels through her use of precise, descriptive language.
This book would be appropriate for 3rd - 5th grade because readers must be mature enough to infer a lot about the text. This would be a great mentor yet to use to model for students how to use descriptive words to show and not tell about what is going on with the characters and setting.
One other thing to keep in mind is that this book may stir up some uncomfortable feelings for students who can relate to the character being without her dad for so long (children of soldiers) or children who have different family dynamics (absentee fathers). Also, I’m curious if there are any books out there that explore the same topic of a child trying to connect with a parent but set in a more urban or city environment.
This book would be appropriate for 3rd - 5th grade because readers must be mature enough to infer a lot about the text. This would be a great mentor yet to use to model for students how to use descriptive words to show and not tell about what is going on with the characters and setting.
One other thing to keep in mind is that this book may stir up some uncomfortable feelings for students who can relate to the character being without her dad for so long (children of soldiers) or children who have different family dynamics (absentee fathers). Also, I’m curious if there are any books out there that explore the same topic of a child trying to connect with a parent but set in a more urban or city environment.
October 14, 2014
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
This review was originally posted at The Children's War
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
This review was originally posted at The Children's War
February 14, 2013
“I practice his name to myself, whispering it under my breath. Daddy. Daddy. Saying it feels new. The war has lasted so long. He has been gone so long. Finally I look over at him timidly and speak aloud.”
Crow Call by Lois Lowry was published in 2009 and won the Newberry Medal Award. The story follows a little girl who is going hunting with her father for the first time. She is nervous because she hasn’t seen her father in a very long time. The book doesn’t mention a definitive amount of time but the text gives many clues that the father has been gone for a long time. For example, the father asks the little girl about her favorite thing to eat. The text says, “’Cherry pie’, I admit. If he hadn’t been away for so long, he would have known. My mother had even put birthday candles on a cherry pie on my last birthday. It was a family joke in a family that didn’t include Daddy.” The book goes through the rest of the day that the little girl has with her father, and then their hunting expedition.
I really enjoyed this book because it wasn’t a truly happy book. The main character is clearly conflicted, confused, and hurt. The book doesn’t have a perfect happy ending. The characters seem very realistic because both the girl and father are internally conflicted and flawed. The girl is flawed because she doesn’t have complete trust in the “stranger” in her life. The father is flawed because he doesn’t have a strong connection with his daughter. Even though the circumstances of war couldn’t be helped, both of the characters seem to have internal battles with their own feelings. The girl and the father want to connect and love each other, but the reality is that it may take longer than both of them would hope.
I would use this book for older students because the topic is challenging to understand, and only would a more mature reader truly appreciate and understand the subtle details that provide information about the main characters. Additionally, the vocabulary in the story is challenging for students, and has many complex words!
I really enjoyed reading this book because it was refreshing in that it didn’t have a perfect start, a funny middle, and a neat ending. The book left me with questions and wonderment about the characters, their lives, and what happened to them next
Crow Call by Lois Lowry was published in 2009 and won the Newberry Medal Award. The story follows a little girl who is going hunting with her father for the first time. She is nervous because she hasn’t seen her father in a very long time. The book doesn’t mention a definitive amount of time but the text gives many clues that the father has been gone for a long time. For example, the father asks the little girl about her favorite thing to eat. The text says, “’Cherry pie’, I admit. If he hadn’t been away for so long, he would have known. My mother had even put birthday candles on a cherry pie on my last birthday. It was a family joke in a family that didn’t include Daddy.” The book goes through the rest of the day that the little girl has with her father, and then their hunting expedition.
I really enjoyed this book because it wasn’t a truly happy book. The main character is clearly conflicted, confused, and hurt. The book doesn’t have a perfect happy ending. The characters seem very realistic because both the girl and father are internally conflicted and flawed. The girl is flawed because she doesn’t have complete trust in the “stranger” in her life. The father is flawed because he doesn’t have a strong connection with his daughter. Even though the circumstances of war couldn’t be helped, both of the characters seem to have internal battles with their own feelings. The girl and the father want to connect and love each other, but the reality is that it may take longer than both of them would hope.
I would use this book for older students because the topic is challenging to understand, and only would a more mature reader truly appreciate and understand the subtle details that provide information about the main characters. Additionally, the vocabulary in the story is challenging for students, and has many complex words!
I really enjoyed reading this book because it was refreshing in that it didn’t have a perfect start, a funny middle, and a neat ending. The book left me with questions and wonderment about the characters, their lives, and what happened to them next
July 11, 2025
2025 Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Challenge Wk 2[Backyard]
What a gorgeous book!! I loved this. So quiet and calming and just gorgeous.
What a gorgeous book!! I loved this. So quiet and calming and just gorgeous.
November 18, 2014
This is a poignant memoir from the author of The Giver, Lois Lowry. When Lois was a young girl, she struggled to reconnect with her father who had been away at war. She was uncomfortable around him because he was like a stranger to her. Also, I think it made her nervous knowing he used guns - not only in war, but in hunting.
In the story, her father takes her out to hunt crows. She enjoys this special time with him, but it is obvious that she doesn't want to kill the crows. She makes a comment to her dad about the fact that crows have children, to justify not wanting to kill them. This made me wonder about the men he may have killed in the war - if they too were parents, just like those crows. I realized, then, that the crow hunt was a metaphor for war. I didn't understand that the first time I read this story, but each time I read more closely (I've read this book 5 times!), this connection became more clear, and gave me chills.
I also like this story because it reminded me of the special bond I had with my step-dad Bud. In the story, Lois' dad buys her an over-sized hunting shirt, that seems to symbolize their special time together, and their special connection. I too have a shirt like the one Lois had, and it is my step-father's, who passed away. Every time I wear that shirt, I recall all my fond memories of Buddy, and I feel so blessed to have his warmth still around me. I bet Lois still has her father's shirt too, and feels the same way I do.
I recommend this book, not only for the poetic writing style and important messages of war and family bonds, but also for the amazing art work. It takes my breath away every time I turn the pages. If you love beautiful landscapes and childhood memories, than I highly recommend you pick up this book. It's a picture book that's not just for kids. I think it is very profound.
In the story, her father takes her out to hunt crows. She enjoys this special time with him, but it is obvious that she doesn't want to kill the crows. She makes a comment to her dad about the fact that crows have children, to justify not wanting to kill them. This made me wonder about the men he may have killed in the war - if they too were parents, just like those crows. I realized, then, that the crow hunt was a metaphor for war. I didn't understand that the first time I read this story, but each time I read more closely (I've read this book 5 times!), this connection became more clear, and gave me chills.
I also like this story because it reminded me of the special bond I had with my step-dad Bud. In the story, Lois' dad buys her an over-sized hunting shirt, that seems to symbolize their special time together, and their special connection. I too have a shirt like the one Lois had, and it is my step-father's, who passed away. Every time I wear that shirt, I recall all my fond memories of Buddy, and I feel so blessed to have his warmth still around me. I bet Lois still has her father's shirt too, and feels the same way I do.
I recommend this book, not only for the poetic writing style and important messages of war and family bonds, but also for the amazing art work. It takes my breath away every time I turn the pages. If you love beautiful landscapes and childhood memories, than I highly recommend you pick up this book. It's a picture book that's not just for kids. I think it is very profound.
December 14, 2018
This is Lois Lowry's debut picture book, and as with all of her previous juvenile novels, I think that she has done a very good job.
Crow Call conveys the true story of a girl first really coming to know her father who has spent years overseas fighting in World War II. Lois Lowry's graceful use of language is supplemented adroitly by the illustrations from Bagram Ibatoulline, who has with wonderful ability faced the task of illustrating this personally meaningful story. The pictures are panoramic and amazing in every way, gently guiding the telling of the story as well as I've seen from any book's illustrations.
Above all, Crow Call is a story about a girl getting to know her father in a confusing world that has sent up so many screens to keep them apart until this point. How can a young girl fully understand the fears of war and the tragedy that it always is? How can she comprehend that even though her father would always choose her, that his choosing of her can somehow take the form of him being called to serve in another nation?
Warm and comforting, Crow Call is a story that I easily would recommend for just about anyone.
Crow Call conveys the true story of a girl first really coming to know her father who has spent years overseas fighting in World War II. Lois Lowry's graceful use of language is supplemented adroitly by the illustrations from Bagram Ibatoulline, who has with wonderful ability faced the task of illustrating this personally meaningful story. The pictures are panoramic and amazing in every way, gently guiding the telling of the story as well as I've seen from any book's illustrations.
Above all, Crow Call is a story about a girl getting to know her father in a confusing world that has sent up so many screens to keep them apart until this point. How can a young girl fully understand the fears of war and the tragedy that it always is? How can she comprehend that even though her father would always choose her, that his choosing of her can somehow take the form of him being called to serve in another nation?
Warm and comforting, Crow Call is a story that I easily would recommend for just about anyone.
October 29, 2015
Crow Call by Lois Lowery is a book about a father and daughter (Liz) going hunting in the woods. The dad just returned from the war and has been gone a long time, and Liz has to remind herself to call him “daddy”. The father took Liz to the store to buy her a hunting shirt that she had been wanting, which was way too big. Before they went hunting they stopped for breakfast at a diner and got cherry pie, Lizzie’s favorite, that she had for her birthday, which he missed. They then went into the woods and Liz was to be the one who called the crows with the call so her father could shoot them but during a very special moment, the father didn’t end up shooting. This story is very easily relatable today even though it was written in 1945 since so many daughters are missing their fathers because of the war. Crow Call is a historical fiction book that I would recommend for children ages 9 and up. The words in the story are not too difficult but to understand the meaning and the moments that the father and daughter share might be difficult for younger children to fully grasp.
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