THE CARRIER CROW

A crow isn’t welcomed when he tries to join a carrier pigeon delivery service.

Fueled by themes of diversity and inclusion, this thoughtful picture book begins with Joseph the Crow’s desire to be hired as a mail carrier for a forest’s animal inhabitants. The postal service manager, Mafalda the Owl, turns him down because “it is common knowledge” that crows can’t do the job, and it would upset the unity of her squad of identical white carrier pigeons, who “symbolize peace and hope.” The sight of a carrier crow, she asserts, might stoke fears of bad news. Rejected, Joseph moves away, never to return—until Mafalda seeks his help during a winter storm that sidelines most of the pigeons. Author Isabel Cintra and illustrator Zeka Cintra are the Brazilian-born, brother-and-sister team that has crafted other fairy tale–style children’s books with similar themes. Here, Mafalda learns how goals can be more effectively achieved by “accepting differences, sharing ideas, and working as part of a team.” The story’s “teaching moment” tone is softened by the vivid colors and cartoon charm of Zeka’s full-page realizations of an anthropomorphic animal world, where Mafalda’s treehouse office overflows with mail. The squad of mail carriers eventually diversifies and includes a frog, a turtle, a rabbit, and more. The black text, in an extended font, lies in expanses of white space featuring solid colors, snowfalls, blue skies, and billowing clouds that attract the eye.

A gentle and visually appealing tale offering an overt message about the value of diversity.