Welcome to Perfect Picture Book Friday!

And prepare to have your socks knocked off by today’s selection!

This is one of those books I read and think, MAN, I wish I could write like that!

I hope you find this book as interesting, beautiful, and awe-inspiring as I do!

Title: I Am We: How Crows Come Together To Survive

Written By: Leslie Barnard Booth

Illustrated By: Alexandra Finkeldey

ISBN#: 978-1797226156

Publisher: Chronicle Books, September 9, 2025

Suitable For Ages: 5-8

Themes/Topics: nature(crow behavior), power of collaboration, survival, informational fiction

text copyright Leslie Barnard Booth 2025, illustration copyright Alexandra Finkeldey 2025, Chronicle Books

Opening:

“I spill across the sky like ink –
fill the night with jagged cries.
I have one thousand eyes.

I see all.

Know all.

Am all.”

Brief Synopsis: [from the publisher] “A riveting informational picture book that explores the beguiling mysteries of crow behavior. Gorgeous illustrations take us into a crow’s environment and community, making this an incredible―and unforgettable―reading experience.”

text copyright Leslie Barnard Booth 2025, illustration copyright Alexandra Finkeldey 2025, Chronicle Books

Links To Resources: This is a very interesting video of the author talking about how she came to write the book – well worth watching! The back of the book has quite a lot of VERY interesting back matter all about crows – their intelligence, communication, families, social learning, and much more.

text copyright Leslie Barnard Booth 2025, illustration copyright Alexandra Finkeldey 2025, Chronicle Books

Why I Like This Book: I was amazed by this book. For starters, I knew next to nothing about crows, (even though I see them all the time!) and I learned a lot! The story shows crows as the highly intelligent, social creatures they are, and highlights how they gather together for survival, each one working for the greater good. They call each other to gather, returning to the same place night after night, and year after year to strong, protective areas. They huddle together in huge numbers to keep warm in winter, and to protect themselves from predators. The language of the text is exquisite – lyrical, poetic, and beautiful. The art is stunning as well – dark and lovely in some places, dark and more intense in others, and finally, toward the end, filling with light and hope. I found the book surprisingly moving. The extensive back matter provides lots of interesting information for curious readers. The whole book is really a work of art!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 😊

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog links (and any other info you feel like filling out 😊) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! 😊