Among crows, Jasper was one of the most intelligent, well-traveled, and best-liked.

The writer wrote:

Jasper Crow had had nightmares ever since he was an egg. He broke out of his shell and looking around, realized that he was the only one hatched. It was cold and lonely for a whole day until his sister Myrna and then Hector took their time getting into the world. From that instant he knew it was going to be a tough sky to fly.