Gifts From Crows is a recent (2026) picture book written by Gideon Sterer and illustrated by Shadra Strickland.
The book is nonfiction: it shares the story of Gabi Mann, a girl in Seattle who became friends with crows. They rewarded her for the food she dropped –first accidentally, when she was younger, then intentionally, as their relationship grew–with gifts. They brought her found objects. Some were natural (rocks). Some were trash (paper clips). Some were lovely (pieces of stained glass). All though, showed how the crows appreciated Gabi and her gifts…and how intelligent they are.
This book is nonfiction, and so will draw some readers in just to wonder at these true events. However, Sterer builds on this sense of wonder by recounting different myths about crows and by discussing crow intelligence more abstractly, to give a wider context.
Given the color of crows, and the way some stories associate them with death, it’s not surprising that there’s a lot of darkness in these images, but Strickland puts this in context too: the crows are sometimes large and daunting, but other times, small and featured on power lines or in the cloudy sky.
After the story’s end, the author and illustrator share autobiographical notes, and the author shares a photo of Gabi’s gifts and suggestions for how to make friends with crows safely. Finally, there’s a bibliography of works about crows (and Gabi) for those who want to take the story further.
