Where They Gather
by Teresa Rodrigues; illus. by Jamiel Law
Primary    Atheneum    40 pp.
2/26    9781665957816    $19.99

A newly emancipated Black couple begins to build a life together at the end of slavery, planting crops and constructing a house on a small plot of land. “Roots take hold and settle in, / creeping far and free. / They make their home in rocky ground— / a dream of what will be.” The refrain “here, they” is repeated throughout the text. “Here, they stand together.” They also “weep together” and “brave together.” In moving, rhythmic text, Rodrigues uses the changing seasons to represent different phases of the couple’s lives. Eventually, they have children, and those children grow up. One gets married on the property, and soon grandchildren are added to the mix. It’s not all smooth sailing: their home is attacked by a faceless mob; later, they lose their patriarch. But the family rebuilds. In future years, they take part in civil rights marches. Law’s illustrations “painted in gouache and touched up digitally” are primarily in earth tones, highlighting this family’s connection to the land. A tree the couple planted endures over time, standing as a testament to their resiliency. As the family continues to grow and prosper, the property remains a welcoming home base, a place to come together for meals and fellowship. An author’s note provides information about a pecan tree that served as the inspiration for the story; Rodrigues’s grandmother’s handwritten pecan pie recipe is appended.

From the January/February 2026 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.