When a pre-schooler drops food, does anyone really care? Some of Gabi’s neighbors did. The new picture book Gifts from Crows, published by Clarion Books, tells the true story of the friendship that grew between Gabi and the crows who lived nearby. 

Author Gideon Sterer has loved birds for as long as he can remember. He is best known among collectors of children’s bird books for beloved holiday story The Christmas Owl, based on the story of a northern saw-whet owl found inside the spruce that had been selected as the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City. When he saw a news story about Gabi, he wondered if it could be made into a picture book. Not only could it, but it has already begun to win awards, including a Junior Library Guild Selection and a starred review from Kirkus. 

One of the unexpected joys of Gifts From Crows is that it goes far beyond the story of Gabi and the crows. The book flows back in time through time and space to tell the beliefs about crows held by ancient peoples. It moves from the crows watching Gabi and communicating to each other to descriptions of the lives of crows, from their phenomenal memories to their love of play (they sled!) to their complex family structures. 

Illustrator Shadra Strickland drew inspiration from E. H. Shepard’s airy artwork in Winnie the Pooh to create the illustrations for Gifts From Crows. Shadra used a combination of watercolor, gouache, and ink, along with digital adjustments. The spreads featuring Gabi are bright and open and saturated with color, while the spreads that broaden the crow’s story are in sepia tones. 

As the crows learned about Gabi, she learned about them. She thought about them all the time. She learned to tell them apart, and gave them names. The crows became her friends, her family. And when Gabi put up a permanent feeding station, the crows showed their thanks for her kindness.

The first gift was a rock, and other gifts followed. Earrings and jewelry, paper clips and shells, bolts and buttons. 

In his author’s note, Gideon talks about the kinship he felt with Gabi as a result of the best friend he grew up with—a Caique Parrot named Kiwi from his parent’s educational zoo—and his awe for Gabi’s empathy. The crows, and so many other animals, would love to be our friends, if only we would let them. Gideon also provides a guide to befriending crows, with advice to keep the food healthy, safe and consistent. Other backmatter includes an illustrator’s note and partial bibliography.

Gifts From Crows is part of publisher Clarion Books “Picture This: The Great Outdoors” series. A guide for the series gives educators discussion questions and classroom activities for this book, as well as the others in the series. 

With its themes of empathy, friendship and gratitude, this is a fabulous book to share with the children in our lives. 

Gifts From Crows, written by Gideon Sterer and illustrated by Shadra Strickland 

Clarion Books, 2026; ISBN: 978-0063237582

40 pages, age 4-8