The Rocky Path

A path she has to walk alone. And a friendship that turns out to be the strongest thing she carries.

Willow the squirrel knows every strong branch and secret knothole of her cozy oak tree until a Big Wind roars through and steals every acorn she saved for winter. The only food left is in the Green Meadow, on the far side of the long, dark, eerily quiet Rocky Path. And the one friend who could make her brave, a golden rabbit named Sunny, moved far away to the Grassy Hills, leaving a Sunny-shaped hole in Willow's life. The Rocky Path is a tender, quietly courageous picture book for fans of The Invisible String and for any child who has ever had a best friend move away or felt alone.

Willow is small. The journey is big. And there's no one to walk beside her.

But halfway down the path, when her legs feel like jelly and turning back seems like the only choice, she remembers the day Sunny taught her to climb the Great Pine: "Don't even think about the tippy top of the tree. Just think about getting to the next branch."

So Willow steps onto the next gray stone. And the next. And with every stone, the memories she and Sunny made together feel less like something she lost and more like something she carries.

Inspired by a poem the author wrote at fourteen after moving away from all her friends, The Rocky Path is a gentle, hopeful story about missing someone, moving forward one small step at a time, and discovering that the people who love us are with us wherever we go.

Perfect for:
- Ages 4–8
- Fans of emotional, comforting stories
- Social-emotional learning and classroom discussions
- Children coping with separation, moving, or friendship changes
- Read-aloud time at home or school