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.
Children's Literature - Krisan Murphy
One cool autumn morning Liz and her dad venture out on a hunting trip to reconnect after a long separation due to war. Their first stop is for a flannel hunting shirt for Liz which swallows her in its folds and hides her long braids. There is a subtle tension in their relationship and hesitation in what Liz observes from her dad's expectations and reactions. He surprises her with a cherry pie treat, seeking her out, and in sharing his own love of hunting. The vivid imagery of the rustling fall is portrayed in crisp dialect and rich illustrations. When it is time to call the crows, Liz is entrusted with the task by her dad. There are poignant questions about the feelings of crows, of choices to shoot the gun or not, and even contemplation whether Liz can trust her father. The resulting atmosphere of this sixteen minute audio/video narrative with still life pictures is a compassionate beginning to a lost and restored parent-child relationship. The DVD jacket includes a helpful teacher guide with before-viewing and after-viewing activities. Reviewer: Krisan Murphy
School Library Journal
K-Gr 4—Eight-year-old Liz and her father, just back from serving in World War II, reconnect as they share an autumn day, slices of cherry pie, and the harsh but moving sound of a crow call. Julia Fein convincingly narrates Lois Lowry's poignant, quiet tale (Scholastic, 2009) of a child and her father coming to know and understand each other after a long separation. Music by Ernest Troost gently augments the story's tone as do the soft, highly realistic illustrations in muted colors by Bagram Ibatoulline. An iconographic filming technique creates the sense of movement while focusing viewers' eyes on the expressive paintings. In an informative interview sprinkled with photographs and images from Crow Call and some of her other books, Lowry discusses her life and work, including the role of research in creating story and illustration, the art and craft of writing fiction, and insight into Crow Call and its genesis. Though restrained, this timeless, powerful story will resonate with a broad audience.—Maria Salvadore, formerly Washington DC Public Library
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