Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Jeff Gottesfeld's 'Twenty-One Steps' offers a moving and informative look at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. It explains the history of the Unknown Soldiers and the extraordinary dedication of the Tomb Guards, whose precise movements and unwavering commitment symbolize profound respect and remembrance. The book beautifully conveys the significance of their vigil, highlighting themes of duty, honor, and sacrifice. It's an excellent resource for parents seeking to introduce children to American history, military traditions, and the concept of national remembrance in a sensitive and accessible way. Ideal for ages 4-11, it encourages conversations about patriotism and gratitude.

With every step, the Tomb Guards pay homage to America’s fallen. Discover their story, and that of the unknown soldiers they honor, through resonant words and illustrations. Keeping vigil at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in Arlington National Cemetery, are the sentinel guards, whose every step, every turn, honors and remembers America’s fallen. They protect fellow soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, making sure they are never alone. To stand there—with absolute precision, in every type of weather, at every moment of the day, one in a line uninterrupted since midnight July 2, 1937—is the ultimate privilege and the most difficult post to earn in the army. Everything these men and women do is in service to the Unknowns. Their standard is perfection. Exactly how the unnamed men came to be entombed at Arlington, and exactly how their fellow soldiers have come to keep vigil over them, is a sobering and powerful tale, told by Jeff Gottesfeld and luminously illustrated by Matt Tavares—a tale that honors the soldiers who honor the fallen.