Aesop's The Crow and The Pitcher

by Stephanie Gwyn Brown

A hot, dry desert. A tired, thirsty crow. A tall pitcher of water. Think you know the story? Think again! In her reinterpretation of Aesop's classic fable of perseverance, STEPHANIE GWYN BROWN guides readers through all six steps of the scientific method—from question to communication—with Crow as the model scientist. But it takes a strong work ethic and a series of comic attempts before he invents a way to bring the water to a life-saving drinking level. Readers are ultimately invited into Crow's laboratory where they learn much more than just a moral to the story.A hip and funny treatment of the perseverance fable.Adapted to highlight the Scientific Method!

Genres: Picture Books, Science, Childrens, Animals, Classics

30 pages, Hardcover

First published January 24, 2003

About the author

Stephanie Gwyn Brown experiments with traditional and digital media in her Los Angeles studio. She is a painter, poet, illustrator, designer, aspiring puppeteer-musician, and award-winning experimental animator. When not tending her backyard menagerie, she may be found at the Natural History Museum, in a public library, or in a classroom. Stephanie is the author of Professor Aesop’s the Crow and the Pitcher.

Reviews

[YUE LE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Professor Aesop’s the crow and the pitcher
Author: Brown, Stephanie Gwyn
Illustrator: Brown, Stephanie Gwyn
Genre: Picture book
Theme(s): Science, fable, folklore
Opening line/sentence:
A thirsty crow, half- dead from desert heart, came upon a water pitcher.
Brief Book Summary:
Adopted the old fable story—the crow and the pitcher. The professor put scientific elements into the book. It described and explained how the crow reached the water in the pitcher step by step and base on scientific evidence.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 4-In this imaginative interpretation of an Aesop fable, the story unfolds on full spreads as a thirsty crow finds a water pitcher but soon discovers that he is unable to reach the liquid with his beak. Here, the action stops, as a blueprint diagram showing the pitcher, water level, and beak size makes the problem clear for readers. The crow tries several methods before coming up with a breakthrough idea ("drawn from information and inspiration") and fills the pitcher with pebbles until he is able to drink. On the last two pages, the crow, now wearing a lab coat, takes to the blackboard and provides a step-by-step explanation of the scientific method: raising a question, gathering facts, forming a hypothesis, testing it with an experiment, reviewing results, and sharing data. Details in the illustrations, such as a snapshot of the bird examining the pitcher or a beaker of pebbles, connect each of these steps to the story. Rendered in "mixed digital media," the vivid artwork presents spectacular depictions of desert vegetation and wildlife. Humorous touches appear throughout, including a "Thirst-O-Meter" that ranges from low to danger, a thermometer showing the bird's "Ambient Temperature," and another gauge that tracks his level of "Determination." Children will enjoy this clever and creative rendition of the fable, and teachers will find it useful when explaining the scientific method.
Sandra Welzenbach, Villarreal Elementary School, San Antonio, TX
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Children's Literature
A thirsty crow discovers a pitcher containing a small amount of water but is unable to drink because his beak is too short to reach far enough down the narrow pitcher. He cannot give up because his life depends upon drinking the water. After several unsuccessful attempts, the crow has an idea of how to sufficiently raise the water level in the pitcher, illustrating the importance of determination and ingenuity. Author Stephanie Brown breaks the fable down into the six steps of scientific method, including gathering facts, forming a hypothesis or educated guess, then experimenting to test the hypothesis. Scientifically-minded kids will enjoy Professor Aesop's spin on the old fable, and Brown's illustrations are a nice combination of colorful storybook drawings with just a hint of textbook to them. Included along the page borders are gauges displaying information such as ambient temperature and determination levels. As noted in the book, necessity plus perseverance equals invention, and the crow eventually uses these factors to his advantage. 2003, Tricycle Press,
— Linda Ruble

Response to Two Professional Reviews: As described in the school library journal, the illustrator explained how the crow reached the water scientifically and vividly. This is an interesting and practical book for children to read. Also, I agree with the second review that this book will more loved by scientifically- minded kids.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: sentences and phrases are short and clear. The scientific descriptions are illustrated with pictures. Easy to be followed and interesting to be read. Students can learn a lot of basic science knowledge.
Consideration of Instructional Application: follow the steps on the book, have students do a scientific experiment project. First grader.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our 6th grade science teachers rave about using this book to teach scientific method - it is a fantastic example and I dearly wish Brown or Tricycle Press would illustrate other scientific concepts in this way. It's a must for our library - I've purchased it multiple times.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice combination of scientific process and fable! Would be good in a classroom for either subject. Great for visual learners.

[Teri · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I love it when we find Aesop's fables in a good stand alone picture book. This was good! My kids especially liked reading the thirst-o-meter and determination guages. :)

[Debra]

Stephanie Gwyn Brown

K - 5

Scientific Method