A boy grieves.
It has been a week since his father’s funeral and the boy is wondering to himself…
“Why Dad? Why did you have to leave?”
His father has left him something – an envelope. Inside is a map of the woods behind their house, where they would often walk together. On the map is a red X, marking something to be found by the boy. A map is unexpected. There had been hope for a letter, but the map with its X is all he has.
Pulling on his boots, the boy sets off into territory he only ever shared with his beloved father. Walking alone feels strange.
But the familiar settles his mind a little. A garter snake they’d named together. The song of a Carolina Wren. Stairways of mushrooms, a glimpse of the river, and the startled flight of an eagle. The boy keeps walking.
He sympathises with the peeping nest of Grouse chicks. Their mother seems to be missing. And then he reaches his destination. X marks this spot. He reaches into a fireplace – its home long gone, to find a small metal box.
Inside is something much more special than the map that led him there. Inside is something wonderful, even magical? His father’s words and sketches too, sharing the woods and its creatures one last time with his son.
With tears on his cheeks, a smile on his face and a lighter heart, this boy forgives his father for leaving. His father knew just what he needed after he was gone.
A Walk in the Woods.
This hardback picture book is something truly special. A beautiful story by Multi Award Winners – Author Nikki Grimes, and Illustrators Jerry Pinkney and his son Brian Pinkney.
This is a story of grief, loss and sadness, but also of connection, hope and a way forward – all within the glory of Nature.
The story behind this story makes A Walk In the Woods even more wonderful. Nikki Grimes and Jerry Pinkney were working on this story together, wanting to portray an African American child enjoying Nature. When Nikki learned that Jerry had passed away, she grieved his loss. But their collaboration wasn’t lost.
Jerry had completed the tight sketches for A Walk in the Woods, and his son Brian picked up the project, melding his own recent art projects (shared with his father before his death) with the completed sketches.
In essence – ‘A son who had just lost his artist father would finish the artwork for a story about a boy who had just lost his artist father.’ (Publishers Weekly)
Sometimes life (and death in this case) is stranger and more wonderful than fiction.
(This title is extra special to me as I received a signed copy of A Walk in the Woods at the Milwaukee Children’s Institute Booksellers Conference in June 2023. I also got to chat with Nikki herself for a bit about her author travels.)
Author – Nikki Grimes
Illustrators – Jerry Pinkney & Brian Pinkney
Picture Book
Age – 8+
(2023, Neal Porter Books, Penguin Random Books, Grief, Loss, Death, Son, Father, Dad, Art, Drawing, Sketches, Nature, Treasure Map, Carolina Wren, Eagle, Garter Snake, Special Collaboration, Art Imitating Life, Connection, A Way Forward, Travelling through Grief, Story behind the Story)