The Path
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected 25 Aug 2026
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- 4,49 €
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- Pre-Order
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- 4,49 €
Publisher Description
This playful yet deep picture book is a celebration of community, nature, and the magic of cooperation.
It’s a busy evening at the local park and all sorts of people are taking advantage of the precious natural space. Whether biking or rollerblading, birding or dog walking, there should be room enough for everyone . . . so why does it seem like someone else is always in the way?
Suddenly, a murmuration of starlings erupts from the treetops—one giant winged cloud swirls and spins across the sky, forcing everyone to stop and look up. And after this small, spectacular moment, the park's visitors begin to interact with a new appreciation for what nature and community add to their lives.
With watercolor illustrations full of personality, movement, and life, this special story reminds readers of all ages that we have a lot to offer each other when we widen our perspectives.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
An unexpected collective experience prompts park-goers to reorient their perspective in this lofty, optimism-inspiring story from Paul (It Simply Can't Be Bedtime) and Leng (At the Window). With forthright narration proceeding via thought- and speech-bubbles, panels track a domino-like chain of disgruntlement as people, portrayed with various skin tones, and pets find themselves repeatedly irritated by disruptions on a shared path. "I just love biking here. So smooth. So straight," thinks a cyclist before a skater causes them to wobble ("If only—gah!—skaters didn't have to go so ziggety-zaggety"). In turn, the skater wishes there were fewer dogs on long leads, and a canine muses, "Those funny-looking dogs on wheels really need leashes." The pattern continues until a wordless full-bleed spread sees everyone stop in their tracks, absorbed by a magnificent skyward sight. As the onlookers exclaim, a birder explains, "It's called a murmuration. The birds fly together so they can take care of one another." The moment represents a turn in the tale, which rewinds into encounters newly centered in kindness: the skater helps the overwhelmed dog walker; the cyclist reflects, "Rollerblades are kind of cool"; and so on. Overflowing with greenery, calligraphically inked panels smoothly telegraph the characters' shifting emotions via body language, savvily depicting people's worst and best impulses while highlighting the beauty of community formed through empathy. Ages 4–8.
