by Nikki Grimes, Jerry Pinkney, and Brian Pinkney

When a boy loses his father, he is hurt and grieving and doesn’t want to do anything. But there is a treasure map left to him by his father. After throwing it across the room in his distress, he sees that it lands on his hiking boots.

So he goes – out to the woods that used to be theirs – and discovers many treasures.

This story moved me to tears. I’m crying while writing about it.

When I read the author’s notes, I cried even more.

This is the first project that Nikki Grimes and Jerry Pinkney did together; it’s also the last, since Jerry Pinkney died before it was finished. His son, Brian, finished the illustrations that his father began – which makes the original story so much more moving.

It’s a story about grief, nature, forest bathing, and healing. It is a story filled with wonder and awe. You should read it. It’s a picture book for everyone.