Title: The Misadventures of Bartholomew Crow
Author: Ken Dean
Publisher: Paper Leaf Agency
ISBN: 978-1-63812-354-5
Pages: 38
Genre: Illustrated Children’s Book
Reviewed by: Beth Adams
Pacific Book Review
Author Ken Dean has created a fanciful illustrated children’s book which tells the tale of Bartholomew Crow, attempting to catch a grasshopper for breakfast. Perched on his tree branch, Bartholomew watches Mr. and Mrs. Hawk effortlessly hover, then swoop down and catch a big fat grasshopper, bringing it up to their tree branch to devour it for breakfast. Mr. Crow was very hungry so he tried to do the same acrobatic flight to nab his own insect, but to no avail. Each time he tried to mimic the flying techniques of the Hawks ended in dire consequences, angering him and providing laughing fodder of entertainment for the Hawks. Does Mr. Crow succeed in his quest for a juicy grasshopper for breakfast? No spoiler in this review!
However, it is worthy to mention the creative artistry of the illustrator Donnie Ray Obina along with the colorations by Angel dela Peña, making for a picture-story-line showing wonderful emotions of the characters. The eyes, feathers and creative movements of the birds were drawn absolutely spectacularly, even the grasshopper was personified wonderfully. The narrative pages almost like a big joke, building up the sequence of events to a climax of laughter for all readers. Yes, “you can’t always get what you want,” may be the theme of this whimsical story, but “at first if you don’t succeed, try, try again.”
The Misadventures of Bartholomew Crow will have children choosing sides; some will be wishing for Mr. Crow to learn his skill set – while others will no doubt be rooting for the grasshopper to get away. Either side you choose, this book sets in motion a “cartoon” image sequence with the synergy of text and illustrations, perfectly synchronized, making it a fun book to reach for, time and time again, to enjoy the misadventures of this very interesting crow – or should I say his “missed adventures.”
