School Library Journal
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K-Gr 2—A cozy portrayal of a fall evening spent among loved ones. Litwin explores the season by following a warm family gathering and the woodland animals surrounding it, all preparing to settle in for winter. Squirrels gather acorns, raccoons and foxes gather fruit, and birds gather leaves for their nests. They prepare to warm, feed, and herd, in readiness for the changing season. The story is made all the more atmospheric by the beautifully chosen palette for the artwork. The colors are limited to oranges and browns when showing the natural world, creating a similar palette to the transitional season. Then, blues and grays are added to the color scheme for the people and their world. Focused on togetherness, this story is inclusive and free of references to specific holidays, making it suitable for all readers. Children will feel inspired to gather with their own loved ones to share this story, ideally with a warm beverage and a soft blanket. VERDICT A cozy, inclusive celebration of the season.—Kelly Costanza

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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.(Picture book. 3-6) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Publishers Weekly
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Spare verse from Litwin affectingly builds to convey autumnal priorities, from food- to community-gathering, in this companionable picture book. A creaturely opening establishes the theme, spotlighting a sleek-nosed red fox and fluffy-tailed squirrels (“Gather acorns. Gather seed./ Gather all young mouths will need”). Eventually, the animals converge, and rhyming prose shifts to human-centered, with figures who “gather, cuddle, hug, greet.” It’s at this moment that Finkeldey’s wispy gouache and acrylic ink renderings shift from yam-colored outdoor scenes with the occasional blue accent to cerulean domestic spaces with rust accoutrements. Naturally, a feast is enjoyed by the group, pictured with skin of varying blues. Simple closing lines tie together animalian and non-animalian threads, articulating the way seasonal change unites species: “Gather outside. Gather in.// Cozy time can now begin.” Ages 3–7. (Sept.)