By Leslie Barnard Booth
Illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey
Chronicle Books, 2025
36 pages
978-1-7972-2615-6
Ages 4-7
“[W]hen winter comes / and hunger thrums / and danger hovers overhead” it’s roosting time for the murder of American crows that narrates this poetic informational picture book. As the sky reddens around the setting sun, the crows call to one another, cackling “like witches” casting a simple spell: “I follow him, / and he follows she, / and they follow me, / and me turns to we—and we roost in these trees / together.” Their purpose is survival; more eyes means a greater chance of spotting and defending against predators like owls and cats. When day breaks, “[n]ow we lift off Now we disperse. / The weave is unwoven. / The magic reversed”—until the crows come together again for the night. Magnificent illustrations depict crows in small and large groups against moody blues and grays and glowing orange skies; once they seem to burst from a witch’s flowing cape. Rich, lyrical language emphasizes the corvids’ social nature and intelligence, while back matter covers other characteristics of these fascinating birds. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center