Rosie the Raven

There's something very different going on in the raven's nest.

When the eggs hatch, a pink girl emerges from one of the shells, along with her black raven siblings. Loving raven parents take their little Rosie just the way she is.

In the beginning, Rosie tries to do everything her siblings do. She opens her mouth to receive worms from her parents, tries to caw until she is hoarse, and wildly flaps her arms in an attempt to fly. The neighbors offer encouragement. "Rub it with birch leaves. That will make its feathers grow "

Rosie finally realizes she is different. Maybe she can't caw or fly, but a world of discovery awaits her nonetheless.

Helga Bansch's exquisite artwork of collages and colored images, including comic-style panels, bring humor, mood, and emotion to Rosie's story. The reader is drawn to Rosie from the instant she pushes herself from the egg, smiling and happy to greet her family, oblivious to her differences.

Helga Bansch has worked as an elementary school teacher and with children with behavioral problems. She discovered painting as a means of expression. She illustrates children’s books, and makes dolls, puppets, and objects from sandstone, clay, and papier-mâché. She lives and works in Vienna.