WRITTEN BY WINSOME BINGHAM & ILLUSTRATED BY E. B. LEWIS.

From award-winning creators Winsome Bingham and E.B. Lewis, this powerful story celebrates a journey crucial to our democracy: the walk to vote.

My granny is taking me on THE WALK.
“Because leaders are not born,” she says. “They’re made through molding and modeling.”
“What’s the walk?” I ask.
“You’ll see. And there’s a few treasured souls coming too.”

Granny and her granddaughter are going on a walk. But this is not just any walk. It’s a walk that must not be missed; one that is more important than ever, but has been made increasingly difficult for many to participate in. It’s a walk that joins together a community, that lifts voices; that allows us to speak up, stand up, and say what’s on our minds. It’s a walk for hope.

Where are all these treasured souls going? Just WALK ON and find out.

PRAISE

***⭐️ REVIEW***
Bingham effectively carries readers through an important yet simple event while conveying its significance as a milestone for an individual, a family, a community, and a nation. The child’s-eye view of the day, clear prose, and strong relationships between characters make this an engrossing read, while statements about injustice are communicated subtly in comments between adult characters and the length of the walk itself—layers that can be unpacked with children who are ready to learn more. Lewis’ work is at its best here; detailed watercolor paintings immerse readers in the life of a multicultural community on a bright day. This lovely introduction to an essential topic will be a new classic. – Kirkus

STARRED REVIEW
“Gorgeous writing paired with luminous art and combined with an impactful message make this work an essential purchase.”―School Library Journal

***STARRED REVIEW***
“Serious but not solemn, this picture book is an excellent readaloud choice for classroom units on democracy, civil rights, and voting.”―Booklist

***STARRED REVIEWS***
“Portraiture-centered watercolor illustrations from Lewis bring a clear-eyed realism to thoughtful conversational text by Bingham; together, the two tackle a weighty topic by leaving plenty of room for additional discussion.”―Publishers Weekly

publishers weekly

⭐️ The Walk (A Stroll to the Poll)

Winsome Bingham, illus. by E.B. Lewis. Abrams, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-4197-4772-4

A Black child narrator accompanies her grandmother as they embark on a lengthy walk in this significant picture book about the power of voting. Starting at their home, the two trek through several neighborhoods, stopping along the way—at a barber shop, a church, and Mrs. Wong’s—to pick up other “treasured souls” (“traveling in a group,/ talking like family,/ together, a community”). Though the child doesn’t know where the walk will take them, understated dialogue shows the adults around her alluding to the tradition’s importance: “I thought after 2008, I could skip a few of these walks. But I see we need them more than ever.” Hints about voting inequality (“The walk wasn’t always this long… But folks keep making it longer”) provide subtle context about where the stroll is taking the group—and, when they arrive at the polling site, why showing up and casting a vote are a must. Portraiture-centered watercolor illustrations from Lewis (You Are My Pride) bring a clear-eyed realism to thoughtful conversational text by Bingham (Soul Food Sunday); together, the two tackle a weighty topic by leaving plenty of room for additional discussion. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

sLJ – School library journal

⭐️ The Walk: (A Stroll to the Poll)

by Winsome Bingham (text) & illus. by E.B. Lewis

Abrams. Sept. 2023. 40p. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781419747724.

COPY ISBN

K-Gr 2–This stirring picture book will inspire kids (and the adults in their lives) to speak up, stand up, and say what’s on their minds. Granny tells her granddaughter that she is taking them on “The Walk,” but they have to pick up a few souls on the way. The picture book’s narrator is confused but joins her grandmother in gathering people from the neighborhood to make the long walk to the voting booth. In cars and on the streets, the trip is celebratory, determined, and triumphant, despite the long distance. This call to participatory democracy told through the eyes of a Black girl is a rallying cry to the next generation of voters and their grown-ups who may be discouraged because of recent elections. The sea of faces approaching the polls is diverse. The main characters are Black, and many of the other voters are BIPOC. The narrator connects with an Asian girl, and they walk hand in hand in front of their grandmothers, united in their purpose to make a change in their communities. Lewis’s textured watercolor illustrations magnify Bingham’s vitalizing words. The parade of people of all races, body types, and abilities recalls the marches that have taken place to secure the right to vote for every citizen, especially those who are non-white. Regardless of the result, The Walk is how voters can make positive change and be molded into the leaders of tomorrow.

VERDICT Gorgeous writing paired with luminous art and combined with an impactful message make this work an essential purchase.

kirkus reviews

⭐️ THE WALK

BY WINSOME BINGHAM ; ILLUSTRATED BY E.B. LEWIS ‧ RELEASE DATE: SEPT. 12, 2023

This lovely introduction to an essential topic will be a new classic.

A Black child’s walk with Granny is a neighborhood event when the destination is the voting booth.

Granny is taking her grandchild on “THE WALK,” but she doesn’t say where they are going—only that “there’s a few treasured souls coming, too.” With a backpack, water, and sandwiches, the young narrator and Granny “WALK ON,” stopping at a neighbor’s house, the barber shop, and Mrs. Wong’s. At each stop, the child wonders if they’ve reached their destination, but instead, more people from the neighborhood join their walk. At last, the crowd arrives at the child’s school—but there’s no school today. Granny reveals the reason all these “treasured souls” have walked all this way: “for hope” and to “speak up.” Bingham effectively carries readers through an important yet simple event while conveying its significance as a milestone for an individual, a family, a community, and a nation. The child’s-eye view of the day, clear prose, and strong relationships between characters make this an engrossing read, while statements about injustice are communicated subtly in comments between adult characters and the length of the walk itself—layers that can be unpacked with children who are ready to learn more. Lewis’ work is at its best here; detailed watercolor paintings immerse readers in the life of a multicultural community on a bright day. (This book was reviewed digitally.)This lovely introduction to an essential topic will be a new classic. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023

ISBN: 9781419747724

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Abrams

Review Posted Online: June 21, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN’S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN’S FAMILY

youth service book review (1 – 5, 5 being excellent and the highest)

The Walk by Winsome Bingham, illustrated by E.B. Lewis

Posted on January 2, 2024 by susanh579

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The Walk by Winsome Bingham, illustrated by E.B. Lewis. Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2023. 9781419747724

Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5

Format: Hardcover picture book

What did you like about the book? “My granny is taking me on THE WALK” a little girl announces, as she finishes her breakfast. As two generations of Black women prepare to leave the house, the girl is full of questions: where are we going? Are we there yet? No, Granny replies. They need to collect “a few treasured souls.” They proceed through the neighborhood, stopping to collect people along the way: a lady pushing her walker, some men from the barber shop, Mrs. Wong and her granddaughter Manying. “We walk on, traveling in a group, talking like a family, together, a community.” The sense of anticipation is palpable, with the girl asking her grandmother, “Are we there yet?” and “When will we be there?” Finally, they arrive at school, which is closed today “Because we’re voting!” Grandma announces. We vote for hope, she announces, because it’s how people speak up. As the girl watches, Grandma fills in the black ovals on her ballot, gets her sticker, and waves goodby to everyone. With its sense of anticipation, sensory language (the tap tap tap on windows), and opportunities for listeners to chime in (“We walk on!”), this will be an engaging storytime addition. Lewis’s beautiful, large, realistic watercolor paintings are full of color and movement, with engaging and respectful representations of people with a variety of skin colors, ages, and abilities. A terrific and moving choice for storytimes around Election Day and Martin Luther King Day or for students in grades 3-5 studying civics.

Anything you didn’t like about it? Two of the “walkers” mention the years 1972 (when Shirley Chisholm ran in the Democratic presidential primary) and 2008 (when Barack Obama first ran for president), but Bingham presents no details within the text about either campaign. Readers could do some additional research to find out more, but it seems like a missed opportunity not to include this information in an endnote.

To whom would you recommend this book? This would pair well with Lillian’s Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by Jonah Winter (2015) or We March by Shane W. Evans (2012).

Who should buy this book? Elementary school and public libraries

Where would you shelve it? Picture books

Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Yes

Reviewer: Susan Harari, Keefe Library, Boston Latin School, Boston, MA

Date of review: January 2, 2024