The Crow That Wouldn't Go

Written and illustrated by Matea Drljepan

The Pictou Bee Press

978-0-920297-07-0

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

June 2025 

 

This may be a story of a crow but it's also the story of a Nova Scotian town, because the place the crow won't leave is Antigonish. So, as the other crows wonder why it won't leave—this partial migration whereby some crows migrate and others don't is quite real—the crow counts off, in rhyming verse, all the things he likes to do in the town of Antigonish.

There was a crow who wouldn't go

He hung around, through hail, rain, and snow.

He wouldn't leave, and he wouldn't fly,

Tied to home, he refused to say bye. (pg. 5)

From The Crow That Wouldn't Go, written and illustrated by Matea Drljepan

The other crows ask what makes this location so special that he'd want to stay, and, in rhyming verse, the crow that wouldn't go tells them. He mentions some places by name like Cape George, Spook Farm, and Keppoch Hill but it's Matea Drljepan's illustrations that give us more of the story. Her text speaks of pizza, ice cream, ghosts, a Cellidh, and a powwow, but her illustrations show us Koala Cone, the Keating Centre, and the Victorian Inn.  There are so many landmarks, historical and cultural, popular and personal, that it becomes evident why this crow doesn't want to leave. Antigonish is home. He is so convincing that Antigonish becomes a little more because of his travelogue.

From The Crow That Wouldn't Go, written and illustrated by Matea Drljepan

It's been many years since I've visited Antigonish, but for those who live in the Maritimes and those who have attended St. Francis Xavier University or the Highland Games, Antigonish offers a little bit of everything. Its character is one of community, history, and culture, and Matea Drljepan's picture book reflects her admiration for the town. But not only does she speak to the town's richness of place and people, she also speaks to the nature of crows in her text and appended note.  

From The Crow That Wouldn't Go, written and illustrated by Matea Drljepan

Beyond Matea Drljepan's depiction of Antigonish and the crows in her boldly-outlined and colourful artwork, young readers will be treated to some very clever references to everything beyond those worlds. For example, when the crow admits that he sometimes feels lonely when all his friends are gone, there is an art parody of Picasso's The Old Guitarist (1903, from his Blue Period). So, not only does she take us to Nova Scotia, she also makes us see beyond it. 

So whatever your family name may be

Whether Ross, Wong, Benoit, Hadhad, or Phee,

This special place was built with love and care,

To welcome all people from everywhere. (pg. 25)

Perhaps you won't be visiting Nova Scotia until we're through with winter, but The Crow That Wouldn't Go would be a delightful accompaniment to your travels with young children. If you've been fortunate enough to have visited before, you will be able to recount the sights you enjoyed then. And, if you're a teacher, I can imagine using this story as a template for children writing their own stories about the places they've visited or the special place they call home. After all, these crows have a lesson or two to teach us about appreciating places near and far.