What the road said

The road is not only a metaphor for life's journey in this meditative picture book but also a supportive and wise friend accompanying readers on their individual paths. A young narrator wonders if there is "something more... something just.../ different" before happening upon a new road and asking where it leads. The road responds, "Be a leader and find out." Thus begins a conversation between the two that results in encouraging, confident answers to questions such as, "What if I get lost?" "What if I get lonely?" and "What if the world around us is filled with hate?" Alongside de Moyencourt's vividly colored, bucolic scenes of the natural world, accessible language and a heartfelt tone make this a meta guide for a broad range of readers finding their way to their future. Ages 6--10. (Mar.)

From an artist, poet, and Instagram celebrity, a pep talk for all who question where a new road might lead. Opening by asking readers, "Have you ever wanted to go in a different direction," the unnamed narrator describes having such a feeling and then witnessing the appearance of a new road "almost as if it were magic." "Where do you lead?" the narrator asks. The Road's twice-iterated response--"Be a leader and find out"--bookends a dialogue in which a traveler's anxieties are answered by platitudes. "What if I fall?" worries the narrator in a stylized, faux hand-lettered type Wade's Instagram followers will recognize. The Road's dialogue and the narration are set in a chunky, sans-serif type with no quotation marks, so the one flows into the other confusingly. "Everyone falls at some point, said the Road. / But I will always be there when you land." Narrator: "What if the world around us is filled with hate?" Road: "Lead it to love." Narrator: "What if I feel stuck?" Road: "Keep going." De Moyencourt illustrates this colloquy with luminous scenes of a small, brown-skinned child, face turned away from viewers so all they see is a mop of blond curls. The child steps into an urban mural, walks along a winding country road through broad rural landscapes and scary woods, climbs a rugged metaphorical mountain, then comes to stand at last, Little Prince--like, on a tiny blue and green planet. Wade's closing claim that her message isn't meant just for children is likely superfluous…in fact, forget the just. Inspiration, shrink wrapped. (Picture book. 6-8, adult) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.