GATHER GRATEFUL

Autumnal scenes depict wildlife and humans busy with seasonal preparations and activities.

The story opens in a leafy forest, populated with bears, a fox, squirrels, a snail, and other creatures depicted in warm hues of rust and gold with black details. Finkeldey employs a limited palette, rendered in gouache and ink on white pages. Litwin’s soothingly spare rhyming text pairs beautifully with the images, evoking the hustle and bustle of collecting seeds, acorns, and nesting materials. A subtle segue—and the addition of the color blue—shows birds lifting off power lines into formation, joined by a small blue airplane. While some “gather up and fly away,” others, like the skunks in the next scene, “gather close. Prepare to stay.” A clever transition occurs on a double spread: The verso presents four cameos of animal groupings that “gather, huddle, herd, [and] heat,” while the recto portrays extended interracial family members who “gather, cuddle, hug, [and] greet.” Several full-bleed double spreads follow; particularly moving is the loving gathering in the firepit scene, the smoky glow contrasting with the dark, star-studded sky. Ultimately the view pans out to snuggling raccoons and the smiling family gazing at one another through the window. Text and images meld seamlessly for a wholly original Thanksgiving tale rooted in an appreciation for the natural world.

A spellbinding, festive tale of community.