A Veteran and His Daughter

With Veterans Day approaching it is a fitting time to highlight Crow Call; JF L, a picture book by the Newbery award-winner, Lois Lowry.

Lois Lowry’s skills as a writer are evident in this picture book, her first ever according to her website, about a girl named Liz reconnecting with her father after his return from WWII. While Liz practices remembering to call the man who is her father, “Daddy,” her father learns that Liz’s favorite food is cherry pie. The two get reacquainted as they set out to hunt the crows which destroy the family’s crop, and by the end of their trip they are holding hands. Ibatoulline’s sepia-toned illustrations match well with the story’s setting and its nostalgic nature. Some of his illustrations are so well-rendered that I felt like I was looking at a photograph. At the very end of the book, in the note to readers, I found out that this story was autobiographical, and I was quite pleased to get to see a photograph of Lowry in the shirt Liz wears in the book.

The book can be found in the library's juvenile book section. If you need any help locating it or you want to check it out, please ask one of the librarians. We will be glad to assist you.

Check the blog next week for another post related to Veterans Day.