Drawn Onward
By (Author) Daniel Nayeri
Illustrated by Matt Rockefeller
HarperCollins Publishers Inc
HarperAlley
19th March 2025
21st November 2024
United States
Children
Fiction
Childrens / Teenage fiction: Action and adventure stories
Childrens / Teenage fiction: Fantasy
Childrens / Teenage personal and social topics: Death and grief
Winner of Junior Library Guild Selection (United States).
Hardback
40
Width 229mm, Height 279mm
433g
In this enthralling and emotional palindrome picture book by Daniel Nayeri and Matt Rockefeller, a young boy grieving the loss of his mother embarks on a lushly fantastical adventure that illuminates what remains when our loved ones are gone.
All alone
He was not so brave...
His heart needed to know
The answer.
This lyrical, heartfelt story a young boy whos lost all hope braves the dark forest to ask, Mom, were you glad you were mom Gorgeously illustrated, Drawn Onward gently guides readers through the depths of grief and provides comfort and hope to those who seek answers when it feels like all is lost.
"A gorgeous tale. A delightful puzzle. But most of all,DrawnOnwardis a gift for those who believe books to be living things." Aaron Becker, author of the Caldecott Honor BookJourney "A touching, poetic journey through grief, bravery and acceptance, so delectably illustrated I want to eat it with a spoon." Vera Brosgol, author of the Caldecott Honor BookLeave Me Alone It's rare to find a book this clever that is also emotionally powerful. Drawn Onward is special and enduring. Matt de la Pea, author of Newbery winning Last Stop on Market Street
Daniel Nayeri likes to read things backward even when it doesn't make sense to do so. He is the author of Everything Sad Is Untrue (A True Story), winner of the Printz Award, the Christopher Medal, and the Middle Eastern Book Award. He loves letter-unit palindromes, like "toot" and "God's dog," and word-unit palindromes, like "Never say never" and "Fall leaves after leaves fall," and if he didn't say how much he likes and loves his wife and son, he wouldn't be Daniel Nayeri. Matt Rockefeller is a visual storyteller inspired by adventuring in the mountains, interpretive dancing with friends, and pondering the many wonders of the universe. In addition to drawing and writing comics, he creates artwork for TV and film animation. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his family including a little dog that may or may not be a fox.