A gorgeous children’s book that will delight both children and adults. The main draw for me was the amazing artwork which I loved, and would happily look at again and again (a definite plus if it becomes your child’s favourite!) The story is simple and sweet, with a message to expand our worlds and look for something different.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC

Overall: 5⭐
Plot/Lesson:° 5📍
Smiles: 3😁
Illustrations: 5🖌️
Suggested Ages: 0 - 3 y/o

<u>“Mom's” Review: </u>
“Mom's” Review:
In a visual style reminiscent of Eric Cayle, you'll fall in love with just the cutest teeny ball of feathers, Little Crow!

As she struggles to initially not break the mold, she quickly learns to spread her wings, literally and metaphorically!

A great addition to any lovers of the Corvidae family little library.

A's Review:
(Full Review To Come!)

C's Review:
(Full Review To Come!)

Thank you to Robert Tregoning, Flyaway Books & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

All opinions are our own.

° = Our Plot/Lesson rating is how well the kiddos picked up on the morals/lessons learned or well recieved the facts were.
^ = A, "Ready to Read" level 3, voracious reader
* = C, learning her letters, but memorizes stories well!
I paraphrase the kids’ opinions 90% of the time, but will call out their direct quotes.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. A cute book about what crow sees below.

A heartwarming book that teaches us to aim for the higher grounds than looking down and cocconed inside our bubbles. I enjoyed reading this book and I'll definitely recommend it to the young ones!!

I was excited to get my hands on this book because I love crows and the illustrations are freaking awesome. For some reason there have been a whole slew of crow picture books lately and I haven’t been terribly excited with any of them until now. (In fairness I haven’t gotten to them all yet..) But, back to this book, honestly I would recommend it based on the illustrations alone– it is really beautiful. That said the story is sweet too. It’s written in rhyme (and it’s on point!) and makes for an awesome read-aloud. When I first started reading I was initially disappointed, the crows in the story are afraid of everything, and that is not how my noisy, curious neighborhood friends roll. But then I read further and realized it was kind of an origin story for how crows became so curious, which of course may also benefit some little human friends too. It was a lovely story! Crows, while super curious and often downright silly, are in fact very cautious when approaching something new. They also share information intergenerationally which I love to see subtly reflected in this fun story! This would be a great book to kick off a crow study, a bird unit, or a subtle SEL reminder to come out of our shells a bit and to get out there and explore! Crows are a great bird to study because they are literally everywhere– cities, rural places, and every place inbetween. This picture book is fun to read and brilliant to look at.

Maybe I’m just not that into birds, but this story didn’t quite resonate with me. While the illustrations are undeniably artistic and skillfully done, they felt a bit intense—my kids even found them somewhat unsettling. The book has a unique style, but personally, I struggled to connect with both the story and the visual approach.
However, I can see how it might appeal to readers who enjoy darker, more atmospheric storytelling.

A good read-aloud story about a crow who expands the world of her crow family when she asks them to look for something other than danger. The art is charming.

The story of a small crow who helps her family/friends out of a tricky situation. This has the message of "small people can do great things."

This was a super cute story about a young crow who is brave enough to challenge the status quo. The illustrations are delightful, and the rhyme scheme made it both fun to read aloud and engaging. My three year old had fun discussing why the crows were scared of certain forest-visitors versus why they were actually there and how the youngest crow might be feeling throughout the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flyaway Books for the ARC!

A thought-provoking yet delightful tale of a young crow who dares to look beyond the familiar, challenging the limits set by his elders. Exploring with wide-eyed wonder as his curiosity takes flight , he embarks on a journey that brings him to a world he never imagined—one that had been above him all along.

This story serves as an effective reminder as to why curiosity is essential in life, for adults and children alike. Too often, we are told to stay within boundaries, to focus only on the known and the familiar, and to avoid the unknown. But just like the little crow, self discovery and growth happens when we dare to explore beyond the limits set for us. Curiosity fuels discovery, creativity, and personal development. It encourages us to question, to seek new POVs, and to embrace the unexpected. Without it, we risk missing out on the vastness of possibilities that exist beyond our circles of familiarity. This book is a touching reminder that sometimes, the greatest adventures begin the moment we choose to look up, to take a breathe and choose to trust our instincts.

Cute story reflecting how we often go with what we know, even if it's incorrect. The baby crow always looked down at danger, but when we referenced looking up, he was cast away. Or the fact that all the different creators weren't coming by the crows' tree to cause a problem, but rather to simply live their lives. Great picture book!

My class really enjoyed this book. By looking at the cover, some thought it might be a mysterious story and were worried for the crows. They came up with lots of reasons for the crows fear but expressed curiosity also. They loved that the little crow was so brave. We talked about how it takes courage to learn new things. And learning new things can be amazing.

Gorgeously illustrated children’s book. It tells of the smallest crow who wonders what if? What if you do something new? What if you’re not constantly scared and cautious?
Such a great lesson for kids about being both cautious and curious. Letting go of our anxiety can give us the chance to fly.
I received an ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.

What the Crow Saw Below is a nice, cute story about a little bird, who wants to know more. It's adorable both in artstyle and the plot. The way trees are created seems so crispy, almost like you can touch them!
My inner child had so much fun while reading.

Thanks to NetGalley, Robert Tregoning, and Flyaway Books for the advanced copy.

This book has such a cool art style. Very beautiful and unique. The story was adorable and has such a great message about not letting fear stop you. I can't wait to read this to my daughter.

What a gem of a picture book.
The things I like the most of this book are:

The fact that the main character is a crow. Let’s face it: there are way less stories (especially picture books) about animals that are not so cute or likeable. That’s why it’s especially important to have stories about those animals, that paves a way to get to know them better.

The language and sentences in this story are marvelous. I wanted to quote some wisdom lines from multiple pages. There’s a rhythm to the text that gives the story so much flow, like the flapping of wings.
There is rhyme in the sentence although it’s not that obvious, that makes the story really funny and smart.

Another great aspect of this book are the illustration, they are so lively. The colors almost pop of the page. The large, page covering pictures make you want to crawl in the story. While you’re reading you’re almost sitting next to the crows on a branch in the tree.

Altogether I found this a wonderful witty read. Really enjoyed it, and I can imagine that there will be many kids that will enjoy flapping through this book again and again.

Beautiful illustrations, an engaging story, and a wonderful message for readers of all ages! Can't wait to add to the library's collection!

This is a beautiful story about a crow overcoming its fears. The illustrations are stunning and perfectly fit the rhyming text. I felt I was with the crow experiencing the fear of the world below. The end is very hopeful.
There is so much scope for discussion in this story. Children will adore it.

The little crow joins her elders in looking down to warn about any possible enemies. The birds encounter increasingly larger creatures, frightening them off with their squawking. But the little crow has a new idea: What if, instead of looking down, the crows looked up?

While the moral isn’t particularly original, Robert Tregoning and Greg Stobbs do a lovely job with this rhyming picture book with the perfect accompanying illustrations.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Flyaway Books in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reading copy.

What The Crow Saw Below by Robert Tregoning is a triumphant picturebook. The text flows lyrically throughout the story, and the illustrations are done wonderfully, showcasing a nature-focused art sense that uses natural colors. The formal elements of the book work well with the textual elements, resulting in a picturebook that is both fun for readers, and accomplished critically.