Sibert Medal-winning author Kevin Maillard (Fry Bread, with Juana Martinez-Neal) tenderly explores the ache of loss in And They Walk On, with luminous art by Pura Belpré-winning illustrator Rafael López (The Day You Begin, with Jacqueline Woodson). Speaking in the intimate, first-person voice of an Indigenous child, the story opens with a question: "When someone walks on, where do they go?"
In a note at book's end, Maillard (Seminole Nation) explains that "walked on" is a term used by many Native people in place of "passed" or "died." Hints woven through his poetic text and López's radiant illustrations reveal the person who has "walked on" was a beloved elder. Readers glimpse their world through small, cherished details: their scarf alive with vivid, geometric designs (into which López, of Mexican descent, weaves his own cultural influences); warm grape dumplings; and their flower-print apron for cooking. "Because of the magic of food," the narrator says, "I travel through time," recalling moments of joy spent cooking together. (The author even includes his grape dumpling recipe in the back of the book.) These memories, presented in gentle flashes, honor not only the bond they shared but the rhythms and passions of a life lived well.
López's illustrations imbue each scene with warmth and presence, even in moments of sorrow. Through glowing yellows and soft pinks, López evokes both the sense of presence and the ache of absence. And They Walk On provides a compassionate space for children to contemplate loss through its affectionate narration, sensory details, and effervescent illustrations. Maillard and López remind readers that mourning can coexist with joy and that, even in that absence, presence lingers. --Julie Danielson