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 that echoes through the pages: "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": "It's an active, ongoing transition of a person from body to spirit." 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: the Starlight mints kept by the bed; their scarf alive with vivid, geometric designs (into which López, of Mexican descent, weaves in his own cultural influences); eucalyptus tea in the kitchen; 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 and the warmth of shared meals. (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. That understanding resonates through the child's journey, which moves from confusion and yearning ("I have stories to tell") toward a quiet recognition that love and memory keep the connection alive: "We still hear their whispers... and walk in their footsteps."
López's illustrations imbue each scene with warmth and presence, even in moments of sorrow. The kitchen hums with remembered laughter ("I remember where I used to go to feel love," the child says, heading to the kitchen where family members are packing everything away), and the elder's room, still and quiet, feels layered with history. Through glowing yellows, soft pinks, and scenes steeped in memory, 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 illustrations that pulse with life. Maillard and López remind readers that mourning can coexist with joy and that, even in that absence, presence lingers--like the scent of eucalyptus in a bustling kitchen. --Julie Danielson
Shelf Talker: And They Walk On is a moving meditation on loss and a reminder that those who walk on are never truly gone.