Little Black Crow

Picture a sky

as big as all outdoors,

a fence disappearing over a hill,

a crow then appearing,

a boy looking up,

watching, wondering.

Not much more than a moment

but the meeting

lofts a rush of childhood questions—

27 in all—inspiring answers

as big as all outdoors.

Caldecott medalist Chris Raschka,

himself the boy perhaps,

has created a book in the sparest language

 against the simplest setting,

 to inspire in any young listener

 the wonder of wondering.