Title: The Crows of Spooky Wood: Book One
Author: Caroline Cutmore
Publisher: AuthorHouseUK
ISBN: 978-1-5462-8032-3
Pages: 134
Genre: Juvenile Fiction/Mystery
Reviewed by: CC Thomas
Pacific Book Review
Anyone who lives in a family will understand the hassle of getting ready in the morning and getting off to school, and work, on time. Large families will also understand crowding around a dinner table trying to share stories of the day before a brother or sister interrupts with a more exciting story. Sure, those things might sound familiar in human families, but how about in crow families? Turns out, their daily lives are remarkably like humans, just as busy and loud. At least, this is the way that Caroline Cutmore portrays them in this first installment of a series, The Crows of Spooky Wood: Book One.
If you ever thought your family was a bit kooky, then you’ll definitely connect with the one in this book, no matter if they wear feathers! This family of crows includes two parents, one of whom is a stressed-out police crow and the other a mom who is trying to hold everything together. Then, there’s a grandma who gets in more trouble than a geriatric crow should, much to the regret of her son-in-law, the police crow. And, finally, there are the kids—Vlad, Mackie, Tish, and Maggie. It’s just a typical family with regular family issues, except they happen to have wings instead of arms.
There are two plots in the story that eventually meet up. One storyline involves a string of baby nappers, cases of young birds being taken from their nest. Frank, the father, is on the case. Another plot involves the kids who are anxious to solve crimes of their own. When a babysitter tells them the story of Spooky Wood, the four decide they can carry on the family tradition of detective work. Along the way are mistakes and mishaps, most quite humorous. There are also some bad guys you won’t mind seeing getting in trouble. Then, there are two pooches, eager to please their master, but not willing to do bad things.
Readers will have fun making comparisons with their human lives to the bird antics in the books. The names are fun, and the descriptions and language used are even funnier. Since the story is told from a crow’s point of view, young readers will find a lot to laugh at. For example, hearing the crows describe a cell phone is a riddle at first, but one that soon descends into a chuckle as the crows describe the craziness of such a device.
Cutmore’s The Crows of Spooky Wood is sure to keep juvenile readers entertained. There are many situations of humor and enough action to keep kids glued to their seat. The mystery isn’t impossible to figure out and the clues along the way help to guide that critical thinking that mysteries are known for. If you’re a parent looking for a good read for your young one, keep in mind this book does have some violence (talk of murder, kidnapping, and animal cruelty) and some light profanity. In all, though, it is a book I can heartily recommend, especially for those readers who like action and adventure and figuring things out. Hopefully, Book Two will be just as entertaining.
