A Man Called Raven by Richard Van Camp

Van Camp, R. (1997). A man called raven. San Francisco, California: Children’s Book Press.

Summary:

A huge man catches two brothers trying to hurt a raven. When the boys tell the man that it’s no big deal, the man forces them to take him to their parents. At their house, the man tells the boys why it is important not to hurt ravens. Relating the story of a mean old man who redeems himself when he is turned into a raven, the boys understand the need to protect and respect life. However, the huge man is not all that he seems.


Advisory Information:

Themes:

a. Respect all forms of life: The huge man teaches the boys why it is important to not hurt animals.

b. Redemption: The old man redeems himself from his human life through his actions as a raven.

c. Importance of understanding culture: The huge man makes a comment that the boys “have never gone out on the land,” implying that had they experienced nature, perhaps they would have understood.

Age Recommendations:

Although the bright colored pictures could be acceptable to younger readers, I think that this picture book’s themes and word choice is better fit for children in elementary school, in 2nd through 4th grade (8-10 years old).

Other Information:

George Littlechild completed the illustrations for this book.

Reaction:

I thought that message in this story was illustrated in an interesting way. I think that in some ways this differentiates this book from traditional American ways of teaching morality. If this book was written by an American, I think the moral would focus on how the Raven was a defenseless creature. Instead this book forces the boys, and thus the reader, to see how the raven actually benefits mankind; that it does serve a purpose in the bigger picture.