GATHER GRATEFUL, a Graceful Approach to Fall and Gratitude

 Do you live where leaves fall at this time of year? Where the change of seasons is unmistakable  not only for its shifts in weather but also for the altered patterns of birds and other animals in habitats near by? If you do, this new picture book will resonate in your bones, in your heart, in your family. If you reside in one of those climates that sustains one season all year long, this is a valuable way to share the FALL/seasonal change that your young ones might not have experienced but will readily imagine as you read together.

GATHER GRATEFUL is written by Megan Litwin and illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey. 

CANDLEWICK PRESS, 2025

Written in rhymed text, the limited lines on each page launch visual storytelling of the many signals and rhythms of fall.

Colors change, temperatures drop. It's time to GATHER. Sweeping double page illustrations in shades of orange/brown and blue contrast with a crisp white background. The tones and shadows of those browns and blues, occasionally accented with black, allow readers to note birds and bears, crusty trunks and flittering leaves, all while recognizing the changes necessary with Fall's arrival.

Nesting, migrating, harvesting and hibernating unfold as "gather" expands to include huddles and cuddles and visits and vistas. Even as the latter pages reveal the various joys of gathering of humans with friends and loved ones, shifts in perspective circle back to the outdoor critters whose seasonal changes have thickened their fur coats, feathered their burrows, and beckoned them to the glow of warmth from windows and campfires. 

This could be described as a lovely lyrical list of Fall activities, and that would be true. But it is written and illustrated so that each posture and frame, each tone and tender expression invites readers to FEEL the characters and their neighbors in nature. This could also be called a Thanksgiving book, but that word is never used. Instead the word GATHER is a celebration of community, of family, of flocks, and of friends. It is anchored to a season, but not to a particular day or time or culture or era. In fact, the universally recognizable joy conveyed is something to be grateful for all year long.

I AM WE! (A Crow's Eye View of Unity)

I can't help myself... here's another amazing picture book about BIRDS! 

CHRONICLE BOOKS, 2025

I AM WE: How Crows Come Together to Survive is written by Leslie Barnard Booth and illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey.  In case you missed some of my former posts about the brilliance and appeal of birds, feel free to click on a few to read HERE, HERE, HERE, or HERE. 

Using first person voice, CROW voices a personal account of  exactly what I AM WE means. The text is a lyrical, sometimes rhymed revelation of the life-facts of crows. Language rich in onomatopoeia and rhythmic flow swoops across the pages to explore the intelligence, behaviors, and social dynamics of individuals, family groups, and flocks. 

It is the perfect time of year to share this, since the most intense flocking begins at summer's end  ago and persists through Fall and Winter until early spring nesting resumes.The reasons for that are made clear, with subtlety and surety. Both rural and urban flocking is described, revealing benefits for both habitats. 

The illustrations are superbly suited to the tone and details, darkly extending a sense of urgency and intensity across the pages. Flocking happens at night, and these wing-sprawling, bright-eyed birds seem both elegant and intimidating but are vulnerable within nature's food chain. Their interactivity and the beneficial effects of flocking may seem self-evident in a few cases, the the combination of visual and narrative storytelling draws readers into the lives of crows, in this case, AMERICA CROWS, among the most common variety. 

If you are looking for a seasonal, slightly suspenseful, moody picture book to share in a read aloud during this fall season, give this one a try. It will offer just-right intensity and a suspenseful tone while sharing important facts about a species and its evolutionary patterns. A huge bonus, while reading, is a growing awareness of something I have said often and will say again. Birds, especially Crows and others black birds, are remarkably intelligent and worthy of respect and attention. Calling someone a "birdbrain" simply reveals ignorance of those facts. I AM WE helps make that point clear.