Crow Call

Written by Lois Lowry and illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline, this iconographic-animated adaptation of the 2009 picture book (an ALA Notable selection) features Julia Fein narrating the voice of young Liz, who wakes up early to go crow hunting with her dad, recently returned home from WWII. With Liz clad in an oversized plaid shirt her father noticed her eyeing at a local store, the pair stop at a diner for a bittersweet breakfast: they giggle over the fact that the waitress mistakes Liz—with her tucked away braids—for a boy, but Liz aches at the thought that her father would know that her favorite food was cherry pie, if only he hadn't been away so long. Throughout their morning jaunt through Pennsylvania farmlands, father and daughter tackle some tough questions (“Were you scared in the war?”), and while Liz yearns to use the crow call to attract the birds, she begins to worry about the baby crows being left alone. Combining detailed though subdued artwork, a bit of humor, and a winning soundtrack by Ernest V. Troost, the poignant Crow Call also features a read-along option and an interview with Lowry. Recommended. Aud: E, P. (J. Williams-Wood)