Crow and Hawk

by Michael Rosen

In a tale from the Pueblo people, Hawk hatches Crow's eggs, raises the baby crows, and then turns to Eagle for a decision as to who should keep the babies. By the author and illustrator of How the Animals Got Their Colors.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens

32 pages, Library Binding

First published March 1, 1995

About the author

Michael Rosen, a recent British Children’s Laureate, has written many acclaimed books for children, including WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, and I’M NUMBER ONE and THIS IS OUR HOUSE, both illustrated by Bob Graham. Michael Rosen lives in London.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Mimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations really make this story.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe the most appreciative audience for this picture book will be parents and children who have lived through a divorce, followed by a complicated custody agreement. Heaven knows, there's a big market for that kind of story.

But this particular story was created long before today's complicated divorces and custody agreements. Here's a traditional wisdom tale from the Pueblo people.

Hawk and Crow are responsible for baby birds. And both want what we today would call "Full custody." Here's what has happened:

1. Crow lays eggs, sits on them for a while, but flies away.
2. Hawk takes over, and winds up hatching Crow's eggs.
3. The Hawk raises the baby crows as her own.

Eventually Crow returns and wants her babies back. Eventually Crow and Hawk turns to Eagle for a decision. Which mother should keep the babies?

No spoiler from me. But I do like the ending. Very much.

FIVE STARS for Michael Rosen, the author; John Clementson, the artist; and the Pueblo people... the source of this wisdom.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a story about a crow who had eggs and she waited and waited and waited and then never hatched so she left well Hawk flew by and saw that there was these eggs and nobody was sitting on them so he waited to see if somebody would come back and no one did so he sat on them and sat on them and sat on them until they hatched and when they hatched he cared for them and fed them and so on well Crow came back and remembered about her eggs and went to see and found her babies there but Hawk was already there and hawk said no they're mine now you left them and she wanted them back so they both flew to the bird Master which is an eagle to figure out the situation and Eagle asked why did you leave Crow she didn't have an answer and Hawk explain her situation the eagle ask the little crows who is their mother and they all said hawk because she was there for them and care for them and so that was that hawk got to keep the babies

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is great for children because it can teach a child a sense of responsibility and accountability. The Crow leaves her eggs unattended because she lost patience for them to hatch. When the Hawk saw that the eggs were without any company, she takes the initiative to protect them and keep them warm until they hatch. Upon the hatching of the eggs, the Crow returns and expects to have her babies back. However, because the Crow left them and the Hawk nurtured them, the Hawk is considering herself as the mother. There is conflict between the two characters but is resolved with a help from Eagle, who is the authoritative figure in the story. The children can relate to this book because it will teach them how to take responsibility for their own actions. Also, if a conflict arises, you can always reach out to an adult for help. The illustrations are very vivid and eye catching for the children to enjoy.

[Morgan Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has amazing illustrations. This book teaches responsibility through the characters of Crow and Hawk. Crow leaves his nest and his eggs so Hawk comes and takes care of them. Once they finally hatch and can fly Crow wants them back, but they are Hawks babies. The baby crows tell Crow that Hawk is their mother because she is the one who took care of them. The students can relate to this book because they all have possessions or maybe even pets that they consider to be theirs, but maybe their parents are really the ones who take care of it for them. Teaches the students that they should take care of the things that are important to them. You could also have a good discussion on who they think should have gotten to keep the babies.

[Rani · Rating 4 out of 5]

#YoungReaders #PictureBook #BookReview #Folklore #Traditional #Pueblo Indian Story. When a #crow abandons a nest with #eggs, a #hawk cares for the eggs and young ones. When the crow back, who does the chicks get to live with?