Leads young readers on a journey with a raven across the icy Alaska landscape on the verge of spring. Along the way, the raven's sonorous cry wakes a cast of sleeping woodland creatures, including a bear, a beaver, a hare, and a squirrel - all of whom join him in imploring the still-frozen river to melt and thereby initiate the change of seasons.

Raven and the other animals try to awaken the frozen river to the coming Alaskan springtime.