Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal winner Kevin Maillard (Fry Bread; And They Walk On) tenderly explores belonging in the picture book The Ones Who Came Before. The lively artwork of Sibu T.P. (Home, Home) accompanies Maillard's melodic prose, producing a thoughtful collaboration that encourages young readers to consider the legacy of the land on which they live.
Maillard's protagonist, Aabanya, visits her grandfather, Big Jimmy, every summer "at his cottage on Early Mountain." Despite the joy she feels with her grandfather, she is still very much "a city child in a country place." Aabanya helps Big Jimmy with his garden and begins to "bloom... under the warmth of the sun." At night, he tells her stories of the mountain and the Earlies, the people who "were here before the town": "We sang the music of life and danced the rhythm of freedom in the village at the end of the road." When Aabanya unexpectedly encounters a curious bear, Big Jimmy gently calms her fear. "Why is it here?" he asks. Remembering his words, Aabanya realizes the bear and its kin "are the ones who came before" even the Earlies.
T.P.'s graphite pencil and acrylic illustrations are an excellent match for the text's themes. His distinct shadows and spills of light create an atmosphere that conveys a comfort with the unknown; his use of reflection emphasizes the ideas of naming and belonging, such as when a crowd of Earlies are mirrored in Aabanya's glasses. Deeply saturated colors make every page of the stunning, compassionate The Ones Who Came Before a visual enchantment. --Jen Forbus, freelancer