Wishing that his ordinary raven's feathers could be colorful and more exotic, Crawford is thrilled when a magical old woman transforms his black feathers into a magnificent golden plumage until he attracts the wrong kind of attention.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Convinced that he's "special," Crawford the raven is disgruntled with his ordinary appearance. After making several funny, futile attempts to change, the frustrated bird entreats a woman with magical powers to give him "some color, some flash, some razzle dazzle." Wilhelm (Bad, Bad Bunny Trouble) has her pull this off masterfully, as holographic gold foil and splashes of blazing color transform Crawford's plumage into a sparkling, kid-thrilling sight. After making an ill-fated attempt at hobnobbing with the royal family, the cocky creature is banished to a cage in the palace garden, where he grows increasingly despondent until finally realizing he must lose his unnatural grandeur in order to regain his freedom. Though the shimmering feathers are obvious scene-stealers, Wilhelm's bustling, double-page watercolor art glitters even where there is no gold. As an extra treat, Wilhelm hides a tiny ladybug on each spread. Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2?From the minute he pops out of the egg, Crawford wants to be special. The raven finally gets his wish when an old woman transforms him into a spectacular creature with dazzling feathers. He has a brief spell of glory as the chained fancy of a princess, but all too soon is relegated to a golden cage in an obscure part of the garden. He then pines only for freedom, which he achieves by plucking out his shiny feathers so that the princess, horrified by his ugliness, banishes him. He returns to his friends a wiser bird. The wildly colored watercolor cartoon illustrations have a freewheeling look that is sometimes humorous and sometimes unsettlingly busy. Glittery metallic paint garishly enhances Crawford's feathers. The most successful sequence is a two-page spread showing the raven's daily efforts to improve his appearance by such absurd means as stilt walking and wearing grapes on his head or a false nose. While children will understand the desire to be special and to be noticed, there is nothing subtle or new about this moralistic tale of the pitfalls of seeking attention.?Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Delightful illustrations - disappointing tale,
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This review is from: The Royal Raven (Disney Princess S) (Hardcover)
"The Royal Raven" is - literally - a glamorous book about a raven who is very disappointed with his boring looks. He feels that he is very special, and at first the only way he can think to show how special he is, is by pulling all kinds of antics. When this fails, he tries to change his looks. When he realizes anything he does is only temporary and of little use, he goes to an old woman for a special potion that will make him look beautiful. In exchange for two feathers to use for another concoction, the witch agrees to make him into a beautiful bird. The raven is overjoyed and goes off to show his friends who don't recognize him. So he goes to the royal gardens, where the princess wants him for his beauty and gives him the attention he's so desperately desired. He eventually winds up lonely in a cage, ignored and neglected as the novelty's worn away. When he realizes that he's only been loved and then kept for his looks he recognizes what he must do to be happy again and with his friends. He pulls out all his colorful and glitzy feathers and when the princess finds him plucked, she has him thrown out. He returns to his friends who happily welcome him back. While the blurb on the dustjacket claims this book hails "the freedom to be yourself" as its message, at the same time it seems to squelch the freedom to be unique. I greatly approve of the first message, but never at the expense of squelching the other. I find it rather disappointing how the only way the raven could show how special he was - which isn't emphasized nearly enough for the sake of the book's message - is to dress him up and change his appearance. And if it isn't bad enough that Wilhelm had to use such a shallow example, the raven had to fail. Worse, the reader never finds out what it really is that makes the raven special, nor why the raven's so beloved by his friends. Which is really too bad, because the illustrations are delightful. The raven's portrayal is endearing and comical, a wonderful character in this book. The message might suppose to be "freedom to be yourself," but actually I believe it is more one that endorses conformity. The book fell short of its great expectations, but it was a joy to look at.
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