Crow Boy is one such story where the kids of school in a Japanese village make fun of a short-boy and

names him Chibi(short one). No one knows him well and he is not one of the folks who live near by. He
walks alone from far away mountains every day to school. He attends the school diligently, but no one
makes friends with him. He is always left alone to his own machinations during the intervals and lunch
breaks. No plays with him and he continues to be taunted every day of his school life for 6 years. The
author's single line in a page says it all - "He is always at the end of the line, always at the foot of the
class, a forlorn little tag-along".

A tag-along whom every one, including the teachers, at the best ignore or taunt with names like
slowpoke and stupid. But, unknown to every one, Chibi is busy finding his own way to understand the
world around him. He hears many different sounds, he finds a lot of interest in watching insects that
most of the kids would run away from. He finds variety of different things interesting - the class which
teaches a give list of subjects is just not for him.

In the last grade of the school, in walks in a new teacher called Mr. Isobe. He is himself a bit different
and regularly takes his class to a hill top behind the school. Here is where the rest of the kids are clueless
and Chibi rises to the occasion; he knows about all the places where wild fruits grow, knows more about
farming than anyone put together and he seems to talk with the crows. At the end of last year, Mr. Isobe
makes Chibi appear on the stage for a talent show and every one hoots and jeers - "What can this stupid
do?". Chibi starts imitating the various sounds of the crows. He imitates a newly hatched crow, a mother
crow, father crow, cries of the crows when they are happy, sad and their cries in the morning and
evenings. Every one is amazed that there could so many varieties in a simple crow call. Mr. Isobe then
explains how Chibi learned all about the crow calls and various other information that he has at his
disposal.

It is a fine ending for a rather sad story in the beginning. Taro Yashima, the author, thanks a real person
called Takeo Isonaga, who appears in this story as a teacher called Isobe.

The story's emphasis is on the fact that the teacher can play a great role in moulding a kid; or making
others kids aware of the talents present in each and every one of them. The other teachers were just
like the majority of the kids and considered that Chibi was worthless and he had to be put up with for a
period of 6 years. But, one teacher's belief could bring about a change in the school and make a kid
happy.