"Running away to the city,
I hired myself out to carry loads
for the foreign climbers
flocking to Nepal's high ranges.
Slowly, slowly,
carrying loaded packs on my back,
climbing many mountains,
I grew stronger.
My dream became a vision."
Told in two voices, this book shares the journeys of Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary and their historic climb of Mount Everest. Tenzing, a Sherpa grew up in Nepal doing what the other boys did - herding his family's yaks. Edmund Hillary grew up in New Zealand, tending his father's beehives.
Tenzing loved to climb the mountains nearby, and had thoughts of climbing to the top. Edmund loved taking long walks, and wanted adventure. As each page turns to the next, the two share events and dreams that would eventually lead to experiencing the reality of climbing the world's tallest mountain. Climbing was their mutual passion. Both had high hopes for the future.
"Six times, then seven,
I climbed Chomolungma -
the English call it Everest -
but never to the top.
Not yet.
I joined Himalayan climbers - even tried
Everest, but didn't make it to the top.
Not yet."
Then, in 1953, they met and pursued their dream. It was perilous to say the least. Of the four hundred who began the climb with them, only two pressed forward to complete the climb. They did it - together!
Uma Krishnaswami follows up with 4 pages of information about Mount Everest, its size, the natural environment it provides, and its history. These are accurate facts for readers to process in trying to imagine what it must have been like to tackle such a daunting task. Since their climb, more that four thousand climbers have been successful. She adds selected sources, source notes, and a list of comparable books for young readers.
Christopher Corr created the vibrant images in gouache. They are full of energy, and provide a perfect accompaniment to the well-chosen wording for the remarkable story of these two men. It is quite the celebration!
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