PICTURE BOOK REVIEW: A Walk in the Woods by Nikki Grimes, Jerry Pinkney & Brian Pinkney
ABOUT THE BOOK
In this moving account of loss, a boy takes a walk in the woods and makes a discovery that changes his understanding of his father.
A week after the funeral
I stare in the morning mirror
Angry that my father's eyes
Stare back at me.
Confused and distraught after the death of his father, a boy opens an envelope he left behind and is surprised to find a map of the woods beyond their house, with one spot marked in bright red. But why? The woods had been something they shared together, why would his father want him to go alone?
Slowly, his mind settles as he sets off through the spaces he once explored with his dad, passing familiar beech and black oak trees, flitting Carolina wrens, and a garter snake they named Sal. When he reaches the spot marked on the map, he finds pages upon pages of drawings of woodland creatures, made by his father when he was his age. What he sees shows him a side of his dad he never knew, and something even deeper for them share together. His dad knew what he really needed was a walk in the woods.
New York Times bestselling author Nikki Grimes and the Caldecott Award winning illustrator Jerry Pinkney spent the early days of the pandemic emailing back and forth and talking about collaborating on a book, with Jerry sharing all of the pictures he took of the woods around his house. From this, they conjured a story of a boy's struggle with grief, and all the things he sees and feels on a walk through the forest. Jerry sadly passed away in the fall of 2021, but not before he delivered tight pencil sketches of the forests he loved. When his son Brian took on the task of completing the illustrations, he found himself connecting with his father in a whole new way, his experience mirroring that of the boy in the book. The result is a simultaneously touching and deeply authentic story about the ways shared pastimes keep us close to those we've lost.
REVIEW
While picture books are generally written for children, there are some picture books that have such depth and beauty to them that they can be enjoyed and appreciated by almost anyone, young or old. This is one such book. Not only is the story behind it's creation a touching one (see the book description), but the art being a loving combination of a father's and son's complimentary talents makes this book stand out in every way. Nikki Grimes uses her skill with words to weave a picture of a grieving and confused young man who doesn't know what to think when he discovers a note left by his recently deceased father. But as he follows the instructions in search of a treasure he's reminded of all the memories he and his father made in the woods. And the treasure proves to be worth far more than any amount of money. Not only an ode to the relationship between the fictional father and son, but an ode to the real-life father and son whose stunning artwork graces the pages of the book. A tender, glimpse into father's effort to help his son from beyond the grave.
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