Review: The Day of the Jackdaw written by Jo Simmons and illustrated by Lee Cosgrove

The Day of the Jackdaw is a fantastically funny, warm-hearted and empathetic adventure about overcoming fears, belonging and acceptance.

Alex and his family are moving from the city to the countryside, but Alex is not at all keen on the move.  In fact, he has made a list of things he dislikes about the countryside in his Top-Secret Stuff notebook, top of his concerns being angry badgers!  Imagine his horror when he discovers from a local online newspaper article that angry badgers are the least of his concerns.  Why?  The village of Noggings is being terrorised by an aerial acrobat – a jackdaw called Graham – who is attacking the villagers when least expected. 

Shortly after moving to Noggings, Alex makes a new friend, his neighbour Callie, who introduces him to her 12 guinea-pigs.  Just as he is leaving her garden, he has his first encounter with Graham, an encounter that leaves him frozen in fear.

Later, Alex attends a meeting in the village hall with his family where the villagers are discussing how to rid themselves of their menacing avian foe before he can create chaos at their upcoming summer fete.  Can Alex discover the reason for Graham’s ruinous rampages and put a stop to them before he brings more mayhem to the villagers?

This is an adventure that is guaranteed to being plenty of giggles as Graham’s antics have the villagers in uproar.  They are determined to stop his attacks, but this clever corvid is always one swoop ahead of the hapless villagers.  

Alex is a clever, empathetic and kind-hearted boy who overcomes his initial fear of Graham to find out more about him, putting aside his, and the villagers, pre-judgments and giving him a chance to be understood.  Alex, despite his pre-judgments of life in the countryside, finds the courage to give his new community a chance, finding friendship and a sense of belonging.  I think this is a wonderful message for young children as they are faced with changes in their lives, whether that be moving home or school. 

The full-and-partial page illustrations throughout are absolutely gorgeous and capture the mayhem and warmth of the adventure perfectly.

This is a deliciously delightful tale of mischief and mayhem, flying high with heart and humour.

This book is published by Barrington Stoke who publish dyslexia-friendly, super-readable and accessible books for children of all ages.  This one is for ages 9+ with a reading age of 8.

Thank you to Barrington Stoke for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.