The Day the Stones Walked

by T.A. Barron, William Low (Illustrator)

Pico’s father isn’t like the other fathers on Easter Island. Instead of building boats or hunting octopus, he sculpts the giant stone figures that he believes, in times of trouble, will rise and walk.

Impossible, thinks Pico, until the Great Wave crashes into the island and Pico experiences firsthand the wonder of the stones.

In this stunning tale of faith and the humbling power of nature, T. A. Barron and William Low envision life as it might have been on the mysterious Easter Island . . . before the stones became the island’s only inhabitants.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Historical Fiction, Family, Cultural, Fantasy

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 10, 2007

About the author

T. A. Barron is the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of more than 30 highly acclaimed books, including the Merlin Saga, being developed into a feature film.

Awarded the de Grummond Medallion for “lifetime contribution to the field of children’s and young adult literature,” he also serves on a variety of environmental and educational NGO boards. In 2001, he founded the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, a national award for outstanding young people.

A lifelong adventurer and conservationist, T. A. Barron draws inspiration from the natural world, especially the mountains of Colorado, where he lives.

Follow along on Instagram or TikTok and sign up for his newsletter  — he loves staying in touch with his fans!

Reviews

[Lara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the illustrations, the author's note, and the idea of bringing Easter Island culture to life, but something seemed missing. The world felt like we were just dropped in, having to piecemeal things together to feel like things was solid. I guess a large amount of basic background knowledge was assumed - a common problem, it feels, for these nonfiction/historical fiction/detailed realistic fiction picture books. Too simple a format for too detailed a story, maybe. Like it could be a side activity/read in a larger unit on Easter Island, rather than a focal point. But at the same time, for such a short book, very little happened through a lot of it. More like this was a summary or highlight of a bigger book?

While the intentions were good, it just fell flat for me. Could be a good one to pull out to enhance Asian/Polynesian History displays, or for focuses on oral history or culture. But as a standalone, there doesn't seem to be enough here.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting story set on Easter Island about a young boy and his father surviving a tsunami. I enjoyed the vibrant and expressive illustrations and the author's note at the end, which touched on the Easter Island civilization and environment.

As a fun coincidence, I wore my moai patterned dress today when this hold came in to my library.

[Kiersten · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciated the author’s note at the end, and that the book seeks to inform children about the history and culture of Easter Island, however, this was like...half a story. There is a lot of text and clunky dialog but it still somehow feels like the author was just summarizing the plot.

[Carlye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reaction
Surprisingly I liked this more then I thought I was going to. I think it is cool that there is English and then Spanish below it. Also, I loved how the story touched so close to home. It was all about how we should try to keep the wildlife on Isle Royale National Park. But, it wasn't just flat out staying it. It had a little twist to it with the magical leaf that helped the boy to be able to talk to the wolves. So, once he say the wolves point of view and saw some of their struggles and how they aren’t as scary as everyone thinks; he was able to make the connection that we are predators just like the wolves. Also, that we should be looking out for the wolves instead of trying to get rid of them. I loved how at the end of the book there is a little drawn map that has everything that kind of surround Isle Royale. Such as Minnesota, Wisconsin, Canada, and of course Michigan. Wishing Minnesota, Duluth is drawn and within Michigan, Copper Harbor, Calumet, Hancock, Houghton, Marquette, and Sault Ste. Marie are all drawn.

[Jim Sibigtroth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful as a read-aloud when students are studying ecology. Easter Island is an example of an ecological disaster where humans (directly or indirectly) caused the collapse of the ecosystem. One theory is that the people used up the trees which killed the animals by loss of habitat. Another theory is that men brought rats which overproduced because they had no natural enemies there. This is an example of unintended invasive species introduction.
You can also discuss what tidal waves (tsunamis) are really like. They are NOT huge waves that come out of the sea as one tall wave. The water rises steadily over a period of many minutes and then falls to normal height over a similar period. Rushing waters and floating debris can cause unimaginable destruction.

[Fisal Ansari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Age:
Grades 5-YA

Genre:
Folklore

Diversity:
Native Indians Polynesians.

Illustrations:
drawings of statutes, ocean, island, natives.

Personal response:
A good story about Polynesian folklore and oral story telling.

Curricular or programming connections:
Perhaps a lesson on oral story telling could be used in a library setting.

[Russell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unique improvement. Gives +1 culture, plus 1 additional culture for each adjacent moai. +1 gold after researching flight.
Then there's this random self-inflicted environmental disaster message at the very end of the book, without anything really hinting toward this moral leading up to it. Breadcrumb that cautionary tale, author!

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always been intrigued by Easter Island, but I don't think I've ever read a fictional book about it until this one. It presented one idea about how some of the moai, or giant statues, were moved/toppled over. I would really like to see T.A. Barron expand this into a novel.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

The pictures had too much brown. The action scene was really short even though all the rest of the book had a lot of text. However, some of the description was good and made a picture in your head. He should stick to YA books.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting made-up legend about Easter Island.

Picture book

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't terribly impressed with the story, but the author's note at the end about the statues at Easter Island was informative.

[Kris Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book by T.A. Barron. It would hold the interest of any child.