Cranky, Crabby Crow (Saves the World)

Description: "All the animals think Crow is just cranky, but there's more to his actions than meets the eye"--

Brief description: Corey R. Tabor is the author and illustrator of the Caldecott Honor-winning Mel Fell, three-time Geisel Award winner for Fox Has a Problem, Fox at Night, and Fox the Tiger, and Geisel Honor recipient for Fox versus Fox. His other acclaimed titles include the young graphic novel chapter books Sir Ladybug, Sir Ladybug and the Queen Bee, and Sir Ladybug and the Bookworms; the picture books Bear for a Day, Cranky, Crabby Crow (Saves the World), Ursula Upside Down, Simon and the Better Bone, Snail Crossing, Fox and the Bike Ride, and Fox and the Jumping Contest; and the I Can Reads Fox versus Winter, Fox Is Late, and Fox Plays Ball. Corey R. Tabor lives in Tacoma, Washington, with his wife and son and spends his time making pictures and stories.

Review Quotes:

"Colored by Tabor's characteristic flair for humor and surprise, cranky, crabby Crow turns out to be a secret agent tasked with saving the world! . . .The sudden twist from simple animal communications to agent duties is a fun surprise that children will love." - Booklist

"The book layers humor and whimsy over a tight plot and controlled design, playing with readers' expectations and delivering multiple twists in a compact package." - Horn Book (starred review)

"This is an excellent book to teach young children about safety, sacrifice, putting service before self, and staying focused on a task until it is successfully completed." - School Library Journal

"A stern-tempered corvid guards an astonishing secret in the disarmingly adorable, sneakily hilarious picture book. . . . Tabor subverts the trope of the grouch who learns the lesson of loneliness in a story that portrays a real, albeit absurdist, need for alone time. . . . Short sentences should make this story easily digestible for little readers, while their grownups should appreciate the meteoric plot twist. Expect a KAW-rus of laughter." - Shelf Awareness (starred review)

"Storytelling at its most brilliant--and whimsical." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Clever pacing, bone-dry humor, and visual surprises distinguish this wildly entertaining picture book from Tabor, whose ability to conjure up a fully fleshed-out scenario in just a few strokes contributes significantly to the action." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)