Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by Jeff Gottesfeld

Abstract

Reviewed by: Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by Jeff Gottesfeld Elizabeth Bush Gottesfeld, Jeff Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier; illus. by Matt Tavares. Candlewick, 2021 [32p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781536201482 $17.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 6-10 yrs In 1921 the remains of a unidentified World War I soldier was returned to Washington, DC, then lay in state at the Capitol, and finally was interred at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. The ritual brought a measure of closure to many grieving families who paid their respects, but in Gottesfeld's reimagining, the unknown soldier found no relief, as people's memories faded, and with them, respect for the remains and the grave: "I lay alone with my war: mustard gas and barbed wire, bayonet charges, and names unanswered at roll call." Then the sound of twenty-one steps, passing the tomb in regular repetition, signaled a resurgence of respect as an elite military unit established an uninterrupted presence: "Click./ Twenty-one seconds of silence./ Twenty-one more steps./ With each step, my war was over." The respectful personalization of the unknown soldier and the specificity of the ritual that is now witnessed by Arlington visitors are a potent draw for primary to middle grade audience, and Tavares' pencil and digitally painted artwork captures many facets of the narration: the photo of an honored Black soldier on a home mantel, the casual observance of contemporary tourists, a close-up of a tomb guard's specially altered footwear, a peek behind the scenes into the prep room where guards ready their uniforms to perfection. A closing note offers supplemental information on Arlington and tombs of the unknown from subsequent wars as well as some hints for tracking down further details. Copyright © 2021 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois