I had this online reader link in my keep files for ages. I looked at the title (Clever Crow) and thought, so I want to read it? It seems like it might be a bit slow. And then I clicked on it, saw a few illustrations by Olivia Lomenech Gill and figured I would give it a shot. This artwork was giving off darker vibes that I didn’t think a traditional picture book crowd would be the audience for.
The picture book Clever Crow has three layers of text. The first is the big text, that gives basic information for the young reader. There is then a middle layer of text that gives more information and finally a smaller one that gives more information and is more mature. However, nothing is inappropriate for any age. The text is nonfiction, but written in fiction formats. The solidness of the text is countered by a more artistic look. Chris Butterworth wants to interest you in the text, but knows the two elements need to work. The text also complements the art by allowing you to see how serious, clever and even slightly funny the crow can be, as well as the types of birds that are in the crow family.
As I said above, the illustrations were darker, but that was not the overall tone. Things are not WOW THE BRIGHTEST COLORS EVER but they fit the straight forward, softer text by complimenting it and giving a slight opposite feeling. They are artistic and really capture things for me. They allow a more poetic tone. The mix of fact and fancy makes it a good book for most people. Of course, it is not for everyone simply because it has a one themed course it takes, and I am not sure how many people would be interested in the different elements and types of crows. But I do, and I plan on finding physical copies for gifts.