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Blacky the Crow
Children will love this wonderful tale of Blacky the Crow, who has very sharp eyes, and who is often getting into trouble because he sees things he shouldn't. One day Blacky notices two fresh eggs in a nest belonging to Hooty the Owl and Mrs. Hooty. The eggs are a prize too delicious to pass up and Blacky devises a plan to snatch them. But does he succeed? Young readers will enjoy finding out in this charming tale by master storyteller Thornton W. Burgess.
Reset in large, easy-to-read type, this book is filled with gentle humor and important lessons about nature and wildlife, and is further enhanced by four original Harrison Cady illustrations. Blacky the Crow is sure to captivate youngsters discovering the joy of reading and the pleasures of storytelling at its finest.
Reset in large, easy-to-read type, this book is filled with gentle humor and important lessons about nature and wildlife, and is further enhanced by four original Harrison Cady illustrations. Blacky the Crow is sure to captivate youngsters discovering the joy of reading and the pleasures of storytelling at its finest.
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1922
51 people are currently reading
231 people want to read
About the author
Thornton W. Burgess
824 books203 followersThornton W. (Waldo) Burgess (1874-1965), American author, naturalist and conservationist, wrote popular children's stories including the Old Mother West Wind (1910) series. He would go on to write more than 100 books and thousands of short-stories during his lifetime.
Thornton Burgess loved the beauty of nature and its living creatures so much that he wrote about them for 50 years in books and his newspaper column, "Bedtime Stories". He was sometimes known as the Bedtime Story-Man. By the time he retired, he had written more than 170 books and 15,000 stories for the daily newspaper column.
Born in Sandwich, Massachusetts, Burgess was the son of Caroline F. Haywood and Thornton W. Burgess Sr., a direct descendant of Thomas Burgess, one of the first Sandwich settlers in 1637. Thornton W. Burgess, Sr., died the same year his son was born, and the young Thornton Burgess was brought up by his mother in Sandwich. They both lived in humble circumstances with relatives or paying rent. As a youth, he worked year round in order to earn money. Some of his jobs included tending cows, picking trailing arbutus or berries, shipping water lilies from local ponds, selling candy and trapping muskrats. William C. Chipman, one of his employers, lived on Discovery Hill Road, a wildlife habitat of woodland and wetland. This habitat became the setting of many stories in which Burgess refers to Smiling Pool and the Old Briar Patch.
Graduating from Sandwich High School in 1891, Burgess briefly attended a business college in Boston from 1892 to 1893, living in Somerville, Massachusetts, at that time. But he disliked studying business and wanted to write. He moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, where he took a job as an editorial assistant at the Phelps Publishing Company. His first stories were written under the pen name W. B. Thornton.
Burgess married Nina Osborne in 1905, but she died only a year later, leaving him to raise their son alone. It is said that he began writing bedtime stories to entertain his young son, Thornton III. Burgess remarried in 1911; his wife Fannie had two children by a previous marriage. The couple later bought a home in Hampden, Massachusetts, in 1925 that became Burgess' permanent residence in 1957. His second wife died in August 1950. Burgess returned frequently to Sandwich, which he always claimed as his birthplace and spiritual home.
In 1960, Burgess published his last book, "Now I Remember, Autobiography of an Amateur Naturalist," depicting memories of his early life in Sandwich, as well as his career highlights. That same year, Burgess, at the age of 86, had published his 15,000th story. He died on June 5, 1965, at the age of 91 in Hampden, Massachusetts.
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October 28, 2022
Written by a real conservationist who understood the outdoors, May 16, 2017
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Blacky the Crow (Kindle Edition)
Blacky was my second favorite Burgess character (#1 was Reddy Fox) when I was growing up. A rascal, a trouble maker, a thief and very sly, Burgess somehow makes Blacky likeable and fills his book with life lessons. I think that one reason I like Blacky was my experiences with real crows on my grandfather's farm. They were thieves who spoiled more than they ate, which was no small matter to a poor farmer. They were still interesting and difficult opponents. Sly, cautious, seldom taken by surprise, not fooled for long by scarecrows or decoys and hard to hunt, the real crows were every bit as clever as Blacky.
Some may object to an apparent anti-hunting message in this book. A closer read will reveal that Burgess is objecting to unethical hunting practices. True, Blacky and the others do not like hunters or their "terrible" guns. This did not bother me as a child who loved nature and hunting. I understood that of course the anthropomorphic prey animals would not like hunters, human or other animals. Burgess was a hunter and a naturalist who understood and loved the outdoors and communicated that in his stories. If you haven't already done so, introduce a child to Burgess to help begin a love affair with the outdoors.
As usual, there are no illustrations in the free Kindle edition.
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Blacky the Crow (Kindle Edition)
Blacky was my second favorite Burgess character (#1 was Reddy Fox) when I was growing up. A rascal, a trouble maker, a thief and very sly, Burgess somehow makes Blacky likeable and fills his book with life lessons. I think that one reason I like Blacky was my experiences with real crows on my grandfather's farm. They were thieves who spoiled more than they ate, which was no small matter to a poor farmer. They were still interesting and difficult opponents. Sly, cautious, seldom taken by surprise, not fooled for long by scarecrows or decoys and hard to hunt, the real crows were every bit as clever as Blacky.
Some may object to an apparent anti-hunting message in this book. A closer read will reveal that Burgess is objecting to unethical hunting practices. True, Blacky and the others do not like hunters or their "terrible" guns. This did not bother me as a child who loved nature and hunting. I understood that of course the anthropomorphic prey animals would not like hunters, human or other animals. Burgess was a hunter and a naturalist who understood and loved the outdoors and communicated that in his stories. If you haven't already done so, introduce a child to Burgess to help begin a love affair with the outdoors.
As usual, there are no illustrations in the free Kindle edition.
May 17, 2017
Written by a real conservationist who understood the outdoors, May 16, 2017
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Blacky the Crow (Kindle Edition)
Blacky was my second favorite Burgess character when I was growing up. A rascal, a trouble maker, a thief and very sly, Burgess somehow makes Blacky likeable and fills his book with life lessons. I think that one reason I like Blacky was my experiences with real crows on my grandfather's farm. They were thieves who spoiled more than they ate, which was no small matter to a poor farmer. They were still interesting and difficult opponents. Sly, cautious, seldom taken by surprise, not fooled for long by scarecrows or decoys and hard to hunt, the real crows were every bit as clever as Blacky.
Some may object to an apparent anti-hunting message in this book. A closer read will reveal that Burgess is objecting to unethical hunting practices. True, Blacky and the others do not like hunters or their "terrible" guns. This did not bother me as a child who loved nature and hunting. Of course the anthropomorphic prey animals would not like hunters, human or other animals. Burgess was a hunter and a naturalist who understood and loved the outdoors and communicated that in his stories. If you haven't already done so, introduce a child to Burgess to help begin a love affair with the outdoors.
As usual, there are no illustrations in the free Kindle edition.
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Blacky the Crow (Kindle Edition)
Blacky was my second favorite Burgess character when I was growing up. A rascal, a trouble maker, a thief and very sly, Burgess somehow makes Blacky likeable and fills his book with life lessons. I think that one reason I like Blacky was my experiences with real crows on my grandfather's farm. They were thieves who spoiled more than they ate, which was no small matter to a poor farmer. They were still interesting and difficult opponents. Sly, cautious, seldom taken by surprise, not fooled for long by scarecrows or decoys and hard to hunt, the real crows were every bit as clever as Blacky.
Some may object to an apparent anti-hunting message in this book. A closer read will reveal that Burgess is objecting to unethical hunting practices. True, Blacky and the others do not like hunters or their "terrible" guns. This did not bother me as a child who loved nature and hunting. Of course the anthropomorphic prey animals would not like hunters, human or other animals. Burgess was a hunter and a naturalist who understood and loved the outdoors and communicated that in his stories. If you haven't already done so, introduce a child to Burgess to help begin a love affair with the outdoors.
As usual, there are no illustrations in the free Kindle edition.
March 11, 2022
Month of January 2022: Young Reader’s Classics
Not listed in the Accelerated Reader’s Program (ages 8-14 yrs, 2nd-8th grade)
A children’s classic originally published in 1922.
Thornton Burgess grew up in Sandwich, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where he spent his time exploring around the water and woods and fell in love with nature. He started telling these stories to his one and only son. Then, he began a daily column in the New York Tribune. Finally, they were published in book form. His first novel, “Old Mother West Wind”, was published in 1910. They are stories that teach.
After reading this adventure story, kids will love envisioning what the crows may be thinking and doing next time they are out playing in the woods and hear them cawing. Burgess combines real characteristics of the crows behaviors with teachable moments for children…and the child may not even realize they are being taught because it’s the animals talking.
Blacky the Crow has two adventures. First, he has to decide just how important it is to satisfy his hunger for a couple of owl eggs. Does he risk his life and the lives of his friends? Second, is it worth risking his own life to warn his duck friends of the hunter who is hiding out nearby and coercing them into the area by putting out corn every morning, giving them a false sense of security?
I loved it! This would be a really good bedtime story to read to your young kids. Maybe a chapter or two a night. I’m thinking my two young hunter grandsons would love this. They have very imaginative minds. But I don’t think it will turn them off from deer hunting in the least. They love it too much.
READ IT FREE
Can be downloaded for free to your Kindle or read online at Project Gutenberg:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4979
Not listed in the Accelerated Reader’s Program (ages 8-14 yrs, 2nd-8th grade)
A children’s classic originally published in 1922.
Thornton Burgess grew up in Sandwich, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where he spent his time exploring around the water and woods and fell in love with nature. He started telling these stories to his one and only son. Then, he began a daily column in the New York Tribune. Finally, they were published in book form. His first novel, “Old Mother West Wind”, was published in 1910. They are stories that teach.
After reading this adventure story, kids will love envisioning what the crows may be thinking and doing next time they are out playing in the woods and hear them cawing. Burgess combines real characteristics of the crows behaviors with teachable moments for children…and the child may not even realize they are being taught because it’s the animals talking.
Blacky the Crow has two adventures. First, he has to decide just how important it is to satisfy his hunger for a couple of owl eggs. Does he risk his life and the lives of his friends? Second, is it worth risking his own life to warn his duck friends of the hunter who is hiding out nearby and coercing them into the area by putting out corn every morning, giving them a false sense of security?
I loved it! This would be a really good bedtime story to read to your young kids. Maybe a chapter or two a night. I’m thinking my two young hunter grandsons would love this. They have very imaginative minds. But I don’t think it will turn them off from deer hunting in the least. They love it too much.
READ IT FREE
Can be downloaded for free to your Kindle or read online at Project Gutenberg:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4979
January 31, 2011
The Burgess Books
This is a phrase that brings a smile to my face as often as I hear it. As a young child, I would lose myself for hours in the simple world of the wood and pond inhabited by Little Joe Otter, Buster Bear, Grandfather Frog, and terrorized by Farmer Brown's Boy. I can remember the very shelf, even the exact spot in the little library in Felton, CA where these books were kept. I would return practically every week with a new armload to last me until our next trip to the library. Often I would carry out stories that I read several times before, just so I could once again escape into this imaginary world of furry mischief.
I remember these books well in concept, though the specifics of most of the stories elude me. It was easily fifteen years ago when I began reading them and has been over a decade since I last picked up one of Burguess' stories to read it. That being said, this review is being written as a look back.
These stories are very simple and very fun. Of course, they are children's literature, so that's to be expected, but these stories strike me as especially so. Even still, I can remember some fascinating things I gleaned between the their covers.
For one thing, Burgess did a fantastic job of presenting the ideas of persepective and motivation in simplistic terms. For example, "The Adventures of Danny Field Mouse" would cast Old Man Coyote as a vicious, mean creature wishing to prey on Danny and his friends and family. Yet, pick up instead "The Adventures of Old Man Coyote" and you'll see that when the story is told with him as the protagonist, those pesky field mice are annoying and useful for little more than a snack. After reading both books, you're no more inclined to think of Old Man Coyote as a villian than you are to think of Danny Field Mouse as a pest that should be exterminated. (Note: This is a generic example. I do not recall if Old Man Coyote plays a role in Danny Field Mouse's story or the other way around, but this concept was presented several times. It made an impression on me.)
The only characters consistantly presented as antagonists were Farmer Brown and his boy. This would be one of the only things that I chalk up as odd, or maybe just a little "off" in these books. Humans and their influence on nature are presented as a negative influence on nature and animals - always. It's interesting to note though that while humans are seen as a negative, humanity is lauded and held up as virtuous. All of the animals take on not only human personalities but characteristics, traits, and mannerisms. From a frog with a monocle and an otter with a handkerchief tied to a stick, to a busy-body Jay and a reclusive owl who desires only to be left alone, humanity and it's traits keep cropping up.
Which would be another thing of value I feel that I saw in the Burgess books. These stories are full of social interaction and personality conflicts, even if they are charicatured more often than not. We see over and over again a working out of peace, if not harmony, between conflicting personalities. It may not always be easy to point out a scripture to reinforce the lesson implied, but social harmony is presented and more often than not, resolution is through reconciliation, forgiveness, or a similar method that is not only laudable, but distinctly Christian in action if not motivation.
All in all, the world created by Thornton W. Burgess is imaginative, innocent, fun, and educational. My reccomendation? Grab a handful from your local library, gather a group of kids as an excuse, and lose yourselves in childhood imaginations as you read aloud the stories that have captivated several generations of young readers with the antics of our furry, albiet elusively human, friends.
(Disclaimers: As I said, it has been over a decade since I actually read one of Burgess' books. As such, there may be a specific example that's a little off in this review or something that I would have noticed as an adult that my childhood memories are missing. Also, all of these books say I read them in 1998. While I'm certain I read several of them that year, I'm sure I read some before and after that date as well.)
This is a phrase that brings a smile to my face as often as I hear it. As a young child, I would lose myself for hours in the simple world of the wood and pond inhabited by Little Joe Otter, Buster Bear, Grandfather Frog, and terrorized by Farmer Brown's Boy. I can remember the very shelf, even the exact spot in the little library in Felton, CA where these books were kept. I would return practically every week with a new armload to last me until our next trip to the library. Often I would carry out stories that I read several times before, just so I could once again escape into this imaginary world of furry mischief.
I remember these books well in concept, though the specifics of most of the stories elude me. It was easily fifteen years ago when I began reading them and has been over a decade since I last picked up one of Burguess' stories to read it. That being said, this review is being written as a look back.
These stories are very simple and very fun. Of course, they are children's literature, so that's to be expected, but these stories strike me as especially so. Even still, I can remember some fascinating things I gleaned between the their covers.
For one thing, Burgess did a fantastic job of presenting the ideas of persepective and motivation in simplistic terms. For example, "The Adventures of Danny Field Mouse" would cast Old Man Coyote as a vicious, mean creature wishing to prey on Danny and his friends and family. Yet, pick up instead "The Adventures of Old Man Coyote" and you'll see that when the story is told with him as the protagonist, those pesky field mice are annoying and useful for little more than a snack. After reading both books, you're no more inclined to think of Old Man Coyote as a villian than you are to think of Danny Field Mouse as a pest that should be exterminated. (Note: This is a generic example. I do not recall if Old Man Coyote plays a role in Danny Field Mouse's story or the other way around, but this concept was presented several times. It made an impression on me.)
The only characters consistantly presented as antagonists were Farmer Brown and his boy. This would be one of the only things that I chalk up as odd, or maybe just a little "off" in these books. Humans and their influence on nature are presented as a negative influence on nature and animals - always. It's interesting to note though that while humans are seen as a negative, humanity is lauded and held up as virtuous. All of the animals take on not only human personalities but characteristics, traits, and mannerisms. From a frog with a monocle and an otter with a handkerchief tied to a stick, to a busy-body Jay and a reclusive owl who desires only to be left alone, humanity and it's traits keep cropping up.
Which would be another thing of value I feel that I saw in the Burgess books. These stories are full of social interaction and personality conflicts, even if they are charicatured more often than not. We see over and over again a working out of peace, if not harmony, between conflicting personalities. It may not always be easy to point out a scripture to reinforce the lesson implied, but social harmony is presented and more often than not, resolution is through reconciliation, forgiveness, or a similar method that is not only laudable, but distinctly Christian in action if not motivation.
All in all, the world created by Thornton W. Burgess is imaginative, innocent, fun, and educational. My reccomendation? Grab a handful from your local library, gather a group of kids as an excuse, and lose yourselves in childhood imaginations as you read aloud the stories that have captivated several generations of young readers with the antics of our furry, albiet elusively human, friends.
(Disclaimers: As I said, it has been over a decade since I actually read one of Burgess' books. As such, there may be a specific example that's a little off in this review or something that I would have noticed as an adult that my childhood memories are missing. Also, all of these books say I read them in 1998. While I'm certain I read several of them that year, I'm sure I read some before and after that date as well.)
May 17, 2017
Written by a real conservationist who understood the outdoors, May 16, 2017
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Blacky the Crow (Kindle Edition)
Blacky was my second favorite Burgess character when I was growing up. A rascal, a trouble maker, a thief and very sly, Burgess somehow makes Blacky likeable and fills his book with life lessons. I think that one reason I like Blacky was my experiences with real crows on my grandfather's farm. They were thieves who spoiled more than they ate, which was no small matter to a poor farmer. They were still interesting and difficult opponents. Sly, cautious, seldom taken by surprise, not fooled for long by scarecrows or decoys and hard to hunt, the real crows were every bit as clever as Blacky.
Some may object to an apparent anti-hunting message in this book. A closer read will reveal that Burgess is objecting to unethical hunting practices. True, Blacky and the others do not like hunters or their "terrible" guns. This did not bother me as a child who loved nature and hunting. Of course the anthropomorphic prey animals would not like hunters, human or other animals. Burgess was a hunter and a naturalist who understood and loved the outdoors and communicated that in his stories. If you haven't already done so, introduce a child to Burgess to help begin a love affair with the outdoors.
As usual, there are no illustrations in the free Kindle edition.
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Blacky the Crow (Kindle Edition)
Blacky was my second favorite Burgess character when I was growing up. A rascal, a trouble maker, a thief and very sly, Burgess somehow makes Blacky likeable and fills his book with life lessons. I think that one reason I like Blacky was my experiences with real crows on my grandfather's farm. They were thieves who spoiled more than they ate, which was no small matter to a poor farmer. They were still interesting and difficult opponents. Sly, cautious, seldom taken by surprise, not fooled for long by scarecrows or decoys and hard to hunt, the real crows were every bit as clever as Blacky.
Some may object to an apparent anti-hunting message in this book. A closer read will reveal that Burgess is objecting to unethical hunting practices. True, Blacky and the others do not like hunters or their "terrible" guns. This did not bother me as a child who loved nature and hunting. Of course the anthropomorphic prey animals would not like hunters, human or other animals. Burgess was a hunter and a naturalist who understood and loved the outdoors and communicated that in his stories. If you haven't already done so, introduce a child to Burgess to help begin a love affair with the outdoors.
As usual, there are no illustrations in the free Kindle edition.
July 11, 2022
Blacky the Crow Thornton W. Burgess
I have tried to write stories about crows, but I couldn’t pull it off and settled for writing poems about these bad birds. Thornton Burgess did it, and he did it 100 years ago. His story is called Blacky the Crow.
My one complaint is that he picked a rather dull name for his protagonist. But hey, it was 1922. I’ll extend the kind of mercy crows never show.
When a friend, who is a retired park ranger told me about Burgess, she was stunned to find out I’d never heard of him. The conservationist and children’s author published more than 170 books and 15,000 pieces for his daily newspaper column. Daily! I wrote a monthly magazine column and burned out after only eight years.
Since Blacky the Crow was written for a young audience a century ago, it is more of a morality tale than most contemporary children’s fiction. But, like Beatrix Potter, it treats an animal’s characteristics as character. So when I read the first sentence, I felt confident Burgess knew his crows.
"Blacky the Crow is always watching for things not intended for his sharp eyes.”
What a perfect first sentence! We learn that crows have excellent vision and that they are up to no good. Well done, Mr. Burgess, and in only 14 words!
The story hits all the necessaries for crows, beginning with an elaborate plot to steal eggs from Mr. and Mrs. Hooty (Owl) and ending with a theft of a shiny object that does not, in fact, turn out to be an egg.
If you love crows, I encourage you to pick up this treasure, from a long-forgotten literary stash. I leave you with a few quotes to lighten your heart and trouble your dreams:
* “Peter Rabbit says that it is because Blacky’s conscience troubles him so that he doesn’t dare sleep alone, but Happy Jack Squirrel says that Blacky hasn’t any conscience.”
* “He isn’t easily discouraged. Sometimes it is a pity that he isn’t, because he plans so much mischief.”
* “he shouts, ‘Caw, caw, caw, caw!’ in the most provoking way, and Farmer Brown’s boy insists that he has seen Blacky wink when he was doing it.”
* “He didn’t fly straight there. Oh, my, no! Blacky is too clever to do anything like that.”
* “Blacky has no pockets, so he keeps his treasures in a secret hiding-place, a sort of treasure storehouse. He visits this secretly every day, uncovers his treasures, and gloats over them and plays with them, then carefully covers them up again.”
I have tried to write stories about crows, but I couldn’t pull it off and settled for writing poems about these bad birds. Thornton Burgess did it, and he did it 100 years ago. His story is called Blacky the Crow.
My one complaint is that he picked a rather dull name for his protagonist. But hey, it was 1922. I’ll extend the kind of mercy crows never show.
When a friend, who is a retired park ranger told me about Burgess, she was stunned to find out I’d never heard of him. The conservationist and children’s author published more than 170 books and 15,000 pieces for his daily newspaper column. Daily! I wrote a monthly magazine column and burned out after only eight years.
Since Blacky the Crow was written for a young audience a century ago, it is more of a morality tale than most contemporary children’s fiction. But, like Beatrix Potter, it treats an animal’s characteristics as character. So when I read the first sentence, I felt confident Burgess knew his crows.
"Blacky the Crow is always watching for things not intended for his sharp eyes.”
What a perfect first sentence! We learn that crows have excellent vision and that they are up to no good. Well done, Mr. Burgess, and in only 14 words!
The story hits all the necessaries for crows, beginning with an elaborate plot to steal eggs from Mr. and Mrs. Hooty (Owl) and ending with a theft of a shiny object that does not, in fact, turn out to be an egg.
If you love crows, I encourage you to pick up this treasure, from a long-forgotten literary stash. I leave you with a few quotes to lighten your heart and trouble your dreams:
* “Peter Rabbit says that it is because Blacky’s conscience troubles him so that he doesn’t dare sleep alone, but Happy Jack Squirrel says that Blacky hasn’t any conscience.”
* “He isn’t easily discouraged. Sometimes it is a pity that he isn’t, because he plans so much mischief.”
* “he shouts, ‘Caw, caw, caw, caw!’ in the most provoking way, and Farmer Brown’s boy insists that he has seen Blacky wink when he was doing it.”
* “He didn’t fly straight there. Oh, my, no! Blacky is too clever to do anything like that.”
* “Blacky has no pockets, so he keeps his treasures in a secret hiding-place, a sort of treasure storehouse. He visits this secretly every day, uncovers his treasures, and gloats over them and plays with them, then carefully covers them up again.”
July 19, 2019
Nog een boekje uit deze serie dat een heel leuk verhaaltje vertelt. Op een dag merkt Blacky dat het oude nest van de havik ingenomen is door Hooty de uil en zijn vrouwtje. Dan ziet Blacky dat er twee eieren in het nest liggen. Hij doet er alles aan om op zijn minst een van deze eieren te pakken te krijgen.
Op een andere dag merkt Blacky dat een jager dagelijks mais strooit, om de zwarte eenden te lokken, zodat ze na een tijdje zich niet meer bewust zijn van gevaar en een gemakkelijk doelwit worden. Blacky probeert de eenden te waarschuwen, maar ze luisteren niet naar hem. Ten einde raad vindt Blacky er niets beters op dan Farmer Brown's Boy naar de voederplaats te lokken om hem te tonen wat er gaande is. En Farmer Brown's Boy blijkt een goede vriend van de dieren te zijn, want hij vindt een manier om de jager te slim af te zijn.
Zoals altijd een verhaaltje waarvan kinderen kunnen genieten!
Op een andere dag merkt Blacky dat een jager dagelijks mais strooit, om de zwarte eenden te lokken, zodat ze na een tijdje zich niet meer bewust zijn van gevaar en een gemakkelijk doelwit worden. Blacky probeert de eenden te waarschuwen, maar ze luisteren niet naar hem. Ten einde raad vindt Blacky er niets beters op dan Farmer Brown's Boy naar de voederplaats te lokken om hem te tonen wat er gaande is. En Farmer Brown's Boy blijkt een goede vriend van de dieren te zijn, want hij vindt een manier om de jager te slim af te zijn.
Zoals altijd een verhaaltje waarvan kinderen kunnen genieten!
December 10, 2021
This was a very enjoyable and endearing experience. The themes and stories in here feel both nostalgic and safe while original and fun.
It's an amazing read for young readers and a fun time during the holidays.
It's an amazing read for young readers and a fun time during the holidays.
April 29, 2022
Read aloud with my seven year old while we are studying birds.
August 16, 2020
3.5 stars & 4/10 hearts. I enjoy this book quite a bit. I love how it talks of right & wrong, and it’s actually pretty humorous too!
A Favourite Quote: “As black is black and white is white / So wrong is wrong and right is right.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “He always thought of Hooty the Owl as stupid. That is, he always thought of him that way in daytime. At night, when he was waked out of a sound sleep by the fierce hunting cry of Hooty, he wasn’t so sure about Hooty being stupid, and he always took care to sit perfectly still in the darkness, lest Hooty’s great ears should hear him and Hooty’s great eyes, made for seeing in the dark, should find him. No, in the night Blacky was not at all sure that Hooty was stupid.“
A Favourite Quote: “As black is black and white is white / So wrong is wrong and right is right.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “He always thought of Hooty the Owl as stupid. That is, he always thought of him that way in daytime. At night, when he was waked out of a sound sleep by the fierce hunting cry of Hooty, he wasn’t so sure about Hooty being stupid, and he always took care to sit perfectly still in the darkness, lest Hooty’s great ears should hear him and Hooty’s great eyes, made for seeing in the dark, should find him. No, in the night Blacky was not at all sure that Hooty was stupid.“
September 3, 2025
One of the first books I ever purchased on Kindle was the Thornton Burgess Ultimate Collection. My wife bought me a Kindle, and my oldest gave me a $10 gift card for my first books. I want to say it was probably 15 years ago. The transition to electronic books would be difficult. Old habits die hard, but when I told my son that I had used the gift card on one book, he looked at me as if I was nuts.
He showed me that Amazon had a ton of free offerings and sales; told me that I should have been able to purchase a starter library and then proceeded to show me how. The list of classic books was free and extensive. When I saw the Burgess book, I immediately bought it for 99 cents. It collected 37 of Burgess' animal and nature books including the Bedtime Stories Collection.
The Bedtime Storybook was the book my dad would read to my brother and I when we were children prepping for bed. Burgess carries a great measure of nostalgia for me, so when my son saw that I bought the collection for 99 cents, he bought it too. There were other things that I added that he decided he wanted to add to his library.
Blacky the Crow is typical of the stories written by Burgess. Here. Blacky witnesses the beginning of Duck Hunting Season and decides that he is going to serve as an impediment to the season. He is not alone in this endeavor. In fact, Farmer Brown's son is also going out of his way to distract and make the hunting of ducks more difficult.
As a positive, their efforts help the creatures of the Green Meadow, but as a negative, their efforts only help those ducks being hunted in the Green Meadow. The world at large requires others to also develop strategies to advance the cause of animal protection and conservation. Good story.
He showed me that Amazon had a ton of free offerings and sales; told me that I should have been able to purchase a starter library and then proceeded to show me how. The list of classic books was free and extensive. When I saw the Burgess book, I immediately bought it for 99 cents. It collected 37 of Burgess' animal and nature books including the Bedtime Stories Collection.
The Bedtime Storybook was the book my dad would read to my brother and I when we were children prepping for bed. Burgess carries a great measure of nostalgia for me, so when my son saw that I bought the collection for 99 cents, he bought it too. There were other things that I added that he decided he wanted to add to his library.
Blacky the Crow is typical of the stories written by Burgess. Here. Blacky witnesses the beginning of Duck Hunting Season and decides that he is going to serve as an impediment to the season. He is not alone in this endeavor. In fact, Farmer Brown's son is also going out of his way to distract and make the hunting of ducks more difficult.
As a positive, their efforts help the creatures of the Green Meadow, but as a negative, their efforts only help those ducks being hunted in the Green Meadow. The world at large requires others to also develop strategies to advance the cause of animal protection and conservation. Good story.
January 17, 2021
Blacky the Crow was the first book I remember reading as a child. I saw it for sale recently, with the same cover from the original year it was published, that I read.
It is an enjoyable story. Yes, I am 60 years plus after reading it for the first time, but still it's a simple well written story of a few of the adventures of Blacky the Crow and his friends of the Green Forest. Even though it was originally released in 1922, it is a wonderful tale for today's children to read or have read to them. The author stresses many of the morals which we hold dear today, but are inserted into the story in such a way, it's just part of the tale.
I'm glad I bought it and plan to give it to my grandson to read as, hopefully, his first book.
It is an enjoyable story. Yes, I am 60 years plus after reading it for the first time, but still it's a simple well written story of a few of the adventures of Blacky the Crow and his friends of the Green Forest. Even though it was originally released in 1922, it is a wonderful tale for today's children to read or have read to them. The author stresses many of the morals which we hold dear today, but are inserted into the story in such a way, it's just part of the tale.
I'm glad I bought it and plan to give it to my grandson to read as, hopefully, his first book.
March 13, 2019
A fun story that works well to pick up after chapter 17 of The Burgess Bird Book for Children. This is what we did as directed by our Burgess Birds lesson plans, and the kids enjoyed having a little book solely about Blacky the Crow after the expansive bird population of the Burgess Bird Book. Now we resume our regularly scheduled programming. :-)
This story does make ample use of "Mother Nature" wherever "God" would more aptly apply. It's easy enough to edit on the fly if desired.
This story does make ample use of "Mother Nature" wherever "God" would more aptly apply. It's easy enough to edit on the fly if desired.
January 11, 2023
I would say Thornton Burgess is one of my children's favorite authors. Black the Crow is an excellent addition to their collection. My son really enjoyed that Blacky was always planning mischief but it never turned out well. My daughter's favorite part was where Farmer Brown's Boy was fooling the hunter. Both of my children enjoy learning about and reading anything that involves nature, so Black the Crow was perfect for them.
July 13, 2025
The Thornton Burgess series in general is quite an endearing series of children's books, which do a fine job of being readable by young readers and having interesting plots and introducing young people to a variety of animals in a semi-anthropomorphized way. This particular entry, "Blacky The Crow" is one of the best of the lot, and it's a delightful read for a youngster, or for an older person who is willing to be a child again for the hour or so that it would take to read it.
February 16, 2021
Charming in a nostalgic way
I have a distinct bias for the fables of the green Forrest as my Grandma read them to me. I like the natural accuracy but they are really not the well written. There is more passion then skill here.
I’ve tried reading them to my boys around age 8 but they weren’t interested. Maybe it’s nostalgia or nothing
I have a distinct bias for the fables of the green Forrest as my Grandma read them to me. I like the natural accuracy but they are really not the well written. There is more passion then skill here.
I’ve tried reading them to my boys around age 8 but they weren’t interested. Maybe it’s nostalgia or nothing
April 16, 2018
Bedtime story for my boys. They didn't want me to stop reading each night.
October 17, 2018
Good book
November 2, 2020
2020 read aloud with W age 6.
April 12, 2025
Read as a kid
September 28, 2016
Repetitive and nauseatingly moralistic. The author apparently believes that kids won't catch the moral of his story unless he explicitly tells them, over and over, in every chapter, what he's getting at. I can't imagine that I would have enjoyed this a child.
March 21, 2009
For years I've been trying to figure out the name of the crow-story book I read back in the second grade so long ago. Not remembering the title made hunting for it in bookshops pretty much impossible. I only remember the cover being red and of the thick plain "library binding" type, so I've been hunting for years for thick red hardcovers when that's probably not what I should have been looking for. On a whim this evening I typed "classic children's books crow" into Google and this title was the second to pop up and upon looking at it it seemed to be the one I've been after. I remember that there were a whole series of related books of animal stories by this author on the shelf in that elementary school library of yore; and indeed Burgess wrote a large series of related books. So I think this ends my search. I just remember this being the first "real" book I ever read after graduating up from Dr. Seuss.
September 20, 2015
Blacky the Crow loves eggs. He is very surprised one morning, as he flies over the Green Forest, to see an egg in Redtail the Hawk’s abandoned nest. Who could be laying eggs in the winter? Does Blacky dare to try to get the egg? He investigates for several days, and then develops a plan to steal that egg, and maybe even the other one that appears. Does he succeed? Even though this story is fairly juvenile for my boys, they begged for more and more chapters.
Read my full review here.
June 19, 2011
Free Kindle download. Very cute children's story about Blacky the Crow's adventures in the forest and his obsession with eating eggs. Blacky is crafty and self-serving but he does have a nice side - sometimes. Each chapter has a moral ala Aesop's Fables. An Example: There is no compromise with right and wrong. A half-right is not as good as a whole-right and a half-wrong is still very wrong.
November 2, 2015
I loved this book! Probably more as a child than an adult, but nonetheless, it brought back great memories. I am sure I read every book in the series of the woodland creatures and learned many of the lessons they taught. I could not wait for the bookmobile to home and bring me new adventures. These would most likely be good stories for a parent and child to share at bedtime.
May 2, 2008
I have my grandma's copy of this well loved and read book. I can remember reading it at my great grandma's house when I was little and I have read it to my children.
Very fun and imaginative. Blacky the Crow always finds mischief.
Very fun and imaginative. Blacky the Crow always finds mischief.
February 10, 2010
Very easy children's book. Simple story lines about a clever crow that gets in and out of mischief. Each chapter is headed by a "moral", emphasizing intelligence, loyalty, ingenuity, taking risks etc.
March 1, 2021
Why does Blacky the Crow have yellow legs, sclera, and beak? Does he have jaundice? Did he get jaundice from too much crowberry wine? Why is he wearing clothes? Does he have mad crow disease? If Blacky isn't mad, why is Sammy Jay naked? Is this where the expression "naked as a jaybird" comes from?
June 17, 2009
could read it, the writing was so poor. was able to skim only. despite that it may work as a read aloud for first graders?
December 9, 2021
I think the time is right for reprints. There's some great environmentalist support in this series.
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