School Library Journal (Tue Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2015)

PreS-Gr 1 Rainbow-hued Crow is lonely. He makes a friend out of sticks and leaves, but the wind blows it away. When winter comes, Crow tries again with snow. Sweetly, Crow tries to shade his friend from the sun with a fallen leaf, but the sun melts it. Finally, Crow hears another bird cawing and makes a real friend with another lovely rainbow-hued crow. They make a nest. When spring arrives, Crow and his friend make a family. Colorful Crow and the elements of nature, rendered in watercolors, stand out against a white background, making the artwork noteworthy. With so few actual words, the illustrations help tell the story. VERDICT Another excellent addition to a series that combines a picture book format with easy reader controlled vocabulary. Mindy Whipple, West Jordan Library, UT

ALA Booklist

What can a crow do when he is alone? In this picture book, inventive Crow literally makes a friend, propping up sticks into a graceful, birdlike shape and adding leaves for wings and a crabapple head. But the wind blows, destroying his homemade companion. Next, Crow makes a life-size bird from snow, with sticks for wings and seeds for eyes. But the sun shines, slowly melting his snowy creation. Finally, Crow befriends another crow, builds a nest, and soon welcomes hatchlings. "Now Crow has a family," and his story has a happy ending. Simplicity is the keynote of this engaging picture book that, like others in the I Like to Read series, works equally well as a choice for beginning readers. The spare, pleasing text uses sentences of no more than seven words. In the well-composed ink-and-watercolor artwork, the unexpectedly brilliant hues of Crow's feathers glow against the many white backgrounds. A short, satisfying read-aloud choice with an inviting jacket and pictures that show up beautifully from a distance.

Horn Book (Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Crow (appealingly but inexplicably rainbow-colored) builds a friend from sticks and leaves, then from snow, only to have nature destroy them ("Crow is alone again"). Third time's the charm: Crow meets a feathered friend, builds a nest, and raises a family. Spare, repetitive text; vibrant pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations; and spacious white backgrounds give the story maximum impact while supporting early readers.