Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Boy works through his grief in daring, dazzling adventure.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Feeling overcome by the loss of his mother and concerned they don't have the ingredients for one of her recipes, a young boy in what looks like a medieval cottage (except for a refrigerator!), grabs his sword and shield, runs out, and finds himself DRAWN ONWARD into the deep forest. There he plummets down a waterfall into a sea with a serpent, emerges on a hot, dry beach, and ultimately climbs up a snowy mountain to a stone tower, where his statue-like mom is encased in thorny branches. He has one question for her: "Mom, were you glad you were Mom?" Then, as he recalls warm, happy scenes of them together, his fear and anger soften and he's comforted by her embrace. He returns home the way he came, no longer afraid despite the same dangers surrounding him, and gathers all the needed ingredients along the way. Once home, he plunges his sword into the ground, transforming it into a sort of monument to her, or perhaps a letting go of his anger.
Is It Any Good?
This action-filled grief story is a graphic-novel-like quest adventure with the feel of a classic European folktale. Drawn Onward deftly portrays a boy as he works through the devastating loss of his mother and manages to find something to hold on to: the memory of her and their relationship, which lives on. Daniel Neyeri's spare text and Rockefeller's detailed, lush art are constructed in palindrome, so that even the structure of the story is intriguing and lends itself to the journey the boy finds himself on. It's so well done, it would be a great resource for families processing grief, as well as a rip-roaring fantasy adventure.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the main character deals with his grief in Drawn Onward. Have you suffered the loss of a loved one or a pet? How did you deal with your feelings? How does the boy in the story persevere?
How does the art in Drawn Onward make it seem like a classic folktale or fairy tale?
Which picture is your favorite? Why?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Matt Rockefeller
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures
- Character Strengths : Communication , Courage , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HarperAlley
- Publication date : October 8, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 8
- Number of pages : 40
- Available on : Hardback
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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