The Path

March 15, 2022
Preschool-Grade 2 Using a path as a metaphor, Staake takes a child on a journey of exploration, suggesting the different possibilities for life choices. The simple text offers a discussion of paths, from easy and reassuring to mysterious and dangerous and, finally, challenging and rewarding. Digital cartoon illustrations, done in brilliantly colored, full-bleed, double-page spreads, take routes through many landscapes. Flat terrain takes us through fields of wildflowers, then turns to mountainsides occasionally blocked by big rocks, and zigzags through murky forests. Tension mounts when the only way forward appears to be through a dark cave, until a joyful child slides downhill out the other side. As for the positive ending? The last page shows the footprints of the child as they wander away from all the possible trails to forge a journey all their own. Excellent for discussion of self-discovery, making choices, and increasing self-confidence, this story is useful for both the classroom and for parents supporting growth opportunities. And there's a chance to recap the journey with a vertical page that displays all the paths represented.

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May 2, 2022
A small humanoid figure with a curlicue of hair and a shifting fantastical skin color embarks on a white, winding path in this extended visual metaphor for life’s journey. At first, the “well-worn path that many others have taken before you” is a veritable walk in the park: it “might weave through valleys of wildflowers bathed in the warm sunlight,” writes Staake as the figure walks through rolling fields dotted with red flowers. But sometimes it gets tough: big gray boulders block the path, followed by a dark forest, “terrifying and dangerous rivers,” and a cave that could be a dead end. But the figure, never daunted, emerges triumphant, ready to blaze a trail that’s all their own. Alongside the sentimental text, Staake’s graphical worldbuilding, which keeps even the purportedly frightening moments steeped in the natural world’s beauty, is high style all the way. Includes a detachable poster. Ages 4–8.

Starred review from May 27, 2022

K-Gr 4-Dramatic landscapes are employed to show a solitary figure-a small child-wandering through fields of flowers and over gentle hills, but also through dark forests, over raging rivers, and through mud and swamps. A dark cave seems like an unfortunate end point, but Staake is sure to show his character emerging into sunlight, facing a new set of divergent paths. "How will you know which way to go?" he asks, and then assures his readers that the answer lies within them, allowing them to confidently continue on a path that others may have traveled, but that will be uniquely their own. The use of distinct color schemes for each page amplifies the message of this philosophical concept book: Every life demands many different decisions, leading to circumstances that are at times pleasant and at times difficult. Younger children may view the journey in a concrete way, relating to the physical characteristics of the various natural settings. Older children will be able to interpret the figurative language and appreciate the greater wisdom of this gentle, seemingly simple tale. VERDICT An extremely inspiring story about life's twists and turns that will have universal appeal.-Gloria Koster

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