A city girl’s summer visit to her grandfather’s isolated mountain cabin imparts a big life lesson in Kevin Maillard’s The Ones Who Came Before. Coming from a big city, Aabanya feels a bit out of place in the hills that are “rising up and rolling down, swimming through the white country mist, rippling under the blue sky,” especially because the “thick forests filled with critters and creatures puzzled her.” When residents stare at her in town, her grandfather speaks Muscogee to teach her about their long history on the land before the town was established. The smattering of Muscogee is seamlessly integrated, with translations and pronunciation at the bottom of the page.
One night, a surprise encounter with a bear gives Aabanya an alternate perspective about newcomers, bringing home the lessons her grandfather has been teaching. The incident happens to be drawn from the author’s own life, as explained in his particularly informative author’s note. As Maillard explains, “I wanted to write a character that looked like me and thought like me into the classic world of bear books like Blueberries for Sal and summer stories like One Morning in Maine.”
Sibu T.P.’s stunning illustrations give life to Aabanya’s grandfather’s story and her own revelations. They are bathed in deep color—lush blue, turquoise, orange, yellow and vibrant green—and often drawn from arresting perspectives. The artist alternates emotional close-ups with panoramic landscapes that accentuate the beauty of the area.
The Ones Who Came Before is not only an excellent reminder about our country’s Native heritage; it’s a beautifully written and illustrated book about identity and belonging.