Nayeri, Daniel. Drawn Onward. Matt Rockefeller, Illus. HarperAlley, 10/2024. 40pp. Picture Book. Trade $19.99. 978-0-06-327716-8. GRADES Preschool–3. OUTSTANDING.
With very few words, Nayeri manages to tell an emotionally powerful story set in a fantasy world where the main character, a child with tan skin and brown hair and eyes, goes on an epic quest to find answers to a very painful question, and is able to return home with answers and hope. Rockefeller’s art creates such an immersively detailed world using deep, rich, jewel-toned digital art that it feels as if the reader is on the quest themselves, like an interactive video game. What makes this book such a standout is that the text and art work so well together it can be enjoyed both as a story of loss, pain, and acceptance, and as a grand adventure with thrilling obstacles including giant spiders, an underground lair, and sea serpents. Perhaps most impressive is that the whole book is told using one large palindrome (even the sound effects are palindromes!). While this may need to be explained to younger readers, it only adds to the enchanting experience of the story, which can be enjoyed over and over.
Sarah Kaminker—San Francisco Public Library