A Walk in the Woods by Nikki Grimes and Jerry Pinkney

A Walk in the Woods features Jerry Pinkney’s last illustrations in a sensitive portrayal of childhood grief.

A Walk in the Woods by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney and Brian Pinkney. Neal Porter Books, 2023, 40 pages.

Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 4-8

Recommended for: ages 8-12

Shortly after his father’s death, a grieving boy finds an envelope addressed to him from Dad. It’s a map of a place they both knew well: the nearby woods where he and his father used to walk, with an X marking a “treasure.” At first the boy is angry, his habitual response to almost everything these days. Nature is something he shared with his father. Is Dad asking him to go it alone? How can he do that? Before long, though, curiosity gets the better of him. He goes in search of the treasure, noticing familiar animals and plants along the way. The quiet chatter settles on him as he goes deeper into the woods, and the treasure he eventually finds gives him an anchor for the future.

There’s a story behind this story as moving as the text itself. In her author note, Nikki Grimes explains how she and beloved illustrator Jerry Pinkney met and planned their first collaboration. She finished the text, but Pinkney died before he could complete the illustrations. However, his widow informed her that Pinkney had finished the “tight sketches” (final vision with details included) before cancer took him: “That was his parting gift to you.” Son Brian filled in the color, rounding out his father’s sterling legacy. The illustrations are fluid and alive with a love for nature and family. Not for a casual bedtime read or for spiritual depth, but a comforting and affirming examination of grief and hope.

Overall Rating: 4.25

• Worldview/moral value: 4
• Artistic/literary value: 4.5  

Read more about our ratings here.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: Some of our favorite picture books by Jerry Pinkney are The Lion and the Mouse and The  Grasshopper and the Ants (starred reviews).
• Reviews: When Daddy Prays, by Nikki Grimes, is a lovely portrait of the effect a godly father can have on his son. The Watcher is a great book for dealing with peer problems like bullying and misunderstanding (both starred reviews).
• Resource: Picture Books on Death: Five Recommendations for Christian parents trying to help their children deal with the most difficult subject.

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