The Royal Raven - Hardcover

Wilhelm, Hans

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0590543377 ISBN 13: 9780590543378

Publisher: Cartwheel Books, 1996

Synopsis

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.

About this title

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.

From Kirkus Reviews:

A perhaps familiar story, related with a dose of irony and illustrated with dazzling special effects. Crawford the Raven feels that he's special, but looks like any other raven; a witch transforms him into ``a spectacular creature'' leading to his move to the king's palace, where he is promptly caged. To gain his freedom, he yanks out his feathers, and returns to his friends in the forest, plucked but happy. Perfectly timed wisecracks are hatched whenever the story permits; Wilhelm (The Boy Who Wasn't There, 1993, etc.) uses his characteristically understated humor that reveals itself best in slightly skewed expressions or the deadpan use of familiar idioms. If the text is understated, the illustrations take the opposite tack. The main feature of these big, colorful watercolors are the raven's glittering gold feathers; similar in effect to the fins on Marcus Pfister's Rainbow Fish (1992), these plump the book with real live magic. (Picture book. 3-8) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cartwheel Books
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0590543377
• ISBN 13: 9780590543378
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32