The Walking Stick

Sylvia Pantaleo is an assistant professor of education specializing in
children’s literature at Queen’s University in Kingston.

For many years a teak tree has grown near a Buddhist temple in Vietnam.
Van finds a branch that has fallen from the tree and he and his uncle, a
monk in the temple, clean and polish the stick. Van uses it as a walking
stick. His uncle tells him that, since he found the stick near the
temple, Buddha will watch over him wherever he goes and will bring him
safely home. Time passes and Van, his wife, and their child leave
Vietnam because of the war. Many years later, Van’s daughter marries
and has a daughter, Lynn. During their walks, Van tells his
granddaughter stories of Vietnam, his uncle, and the temple. When Lynn
is grown, she tells her grandfather that she is going on a long walk, so
he gives her the walking stick. Lynn travels to Vietnam and visits the
Buddhist temple where Van originally found the stick. She leaves Buddha
the walking stick as an expression of her gratitude for the Buddha’s
having watched over those who made the long journey.

This engaging story is accompanied by vibrant and bold illustrations.
Galouchko uses an outlining technique in her artwork that enhances the
sense of texture; she also embeds faces in many of the illustrations.
Recommended.