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Item Barcode | Collection | Call Number | Status | Item Holds |
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Summary
Summary
Sophie Blackall, illustrator of the Caldecott-Medal-winning book Finding Winnie, created standout illustrations for this timeless picture book. Written in 1944 by Aldous Huxley as a Christmas gift for his niece, The Crows of Pearblossom tells the story of Mr. and Mrs. Crow, who live in a cottonwood tree. The hungry Rattlesnake that lives at the bottom of the tree has a nasty habit of stealing Mrs. Crow's eggs before they can hatch, so Mr. Crow and his wise friend, Old Man Owl, devise a sneaky plan to trick him. This funny story of cleverness triumphing over greed, similar in tone and wit to the work of A. A. Milne, shows a new side of a great writer. Paired with stunning illustrations by Caldecott-winner Sophie Blackall, this timeless tale is sure to grab the attention of many readers--adults and children alike.Praise for The Crows of Pearblossom "With Huxley's mordant wit in ample supply, this tale will entertain literary novelty seekers." -Publishers Weekly "Huxley's story starts good and grim--just the thing to hold a young audience." -Kirkus Reviews"A rather charming children's book. The story is clever, wittily told and bristles with spiky humor -- and it could quite possibly become a new favorite among schoolchildren. In the reissued edition, Brooklyn-based illustrator Sophie Blackwell transforms the chapter book into a picture book. Huxley's standing as one of the grandfathers of dystopian Y.A. is already established. Perhaps the next generation will think of him as that guy who wrote about crows' eggs." -New York Times ARTSBEAT blog "A vivid picture-book edition with robust and suitably disquieting illustrations by Sophie Blackall." -Wall Street Journal
Author Notes
Aldous Huxley (1894-1963), the author of Brave New World, lived the latter part of his life near the Mojave Desert, where this story is set. Sophie Blackall is the illustrator of many children's books, including the Ivy and Bean series. She lives in Brooklyn. Visit her at www.sophieblackall.com.
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-Each day Mrs. Crow lays an egg, and each day a rattlesnake slithers up the tree and swallows it while the bird is out shopping. Mr. Crow offers no sympathy when his wife explains the situation and asks him to kill the intruder. He soundly rejects the proposal, telling her, "Your ideas are seldom good." He and his friend Old Man Owl bake and paint two clay eggs and place them in the nest. The unsuspecting snake swallows the decoys whole and wraps himself in knots around the branches trying to ease his stomachache. The story ends with Mrs. Crow happily using him as a clothesline for diapers from the numerous children she has successfully hatched. Blackall ably illustrates the tale, adding humorous touches such as a briefcase for Mr. Crow, hair rollers for Mrs. Crow, and fang dentures for the "very old" rattlesnake. Yet, her well-crafted paintings seem wasted on this rather dated and unpleasant story. Mr. Crow repeatedly belittles his wife, who screams at him and his friend. Written by Huxley in 1944 for his niece and including reference to family members and friends, this is the only story he produced for children. As such it might hold some interest for scholars of literature, but it seems an odd choice for collections serving children.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
For Christmas 1944, the author of Brave New World wrote this story of a crow couple's battle with an egg-eating snake, giving it to his six-year-old niece, who provides an afterword (the tale was first published in 1967). Unsurprisingly, this is no cheery animal fable. "[E]very afternoon punctually at half past three," while Mr. Crow is working and Mrs. Crow is shopping, Rattlesnake slithers into their nest. "If there was an egg in the nest-which there generally was-he would swallow it in one mouthful, shell and all." Mrs. Crow discovers the snake and tells her husband to save their "darling eggs." Tricked into eating a heavy clay egg, the snake ends up as a clothesline, and Mrs. Crow happily breeds "four families of seventeen children each." Blackall (Pecan Pie Baby) pictures a lovely gnarled tree as the prolific family's residence, yet her unnerving watercolors of the glassy-eyed crows reinforce the story's sinister elements. With Huxley's mordant wit in ample supply, this tale will entertain literary novelty seekers; it's best suited for children who don't mind some darkness in their stories. Ages 4-8. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.