Author: Alexandra Stewart
Illustrator: Joe Todd-Stanton
© Date: 2019
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Pages: 64
Chapters: Yes
Illustrations: Yes, every page
Publisher Recommended Age: 8-12 years
Bonus Activities at End of Book: No
Summary from Book: On the late morning of May 29, 1953, the sun shone brightly and a gentle breeze was blowing on the highest elevation in the world—and two people were there to witness it for the first time ever. Their names were Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay,a nd they had battles frostbiting temperatures, tumbling ice rocks, powerful winds, and deep crevasses in a death-defying climb to the top of the world’s highest mountain, Everest.
Combining fresh and contemporary illustrations by Joe Todd-Stanton with Alexandra Stewart’s captivating writing, this unique narrative tells the story of how Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made their mark on the world, from birth right up to their final days, and the impact they’ve had on Nepal today.
Page Pig Thoughts: This one made me appreciate what an effort and how many people it took to get Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay to the top of Everest. The details are not overwhelming and the progression of the story is easy to follow. I gained an appreciation for how many people that it took and how much preparation that it took for two men to make it to the summit. So many people went without all of the fanfare that Hillary and Norgay received, even if Hillary always said just how many people made his journey possible.
If you prefer photographs for nonfiction stories, finding photographs online worked for me. The illustrations in the book went well with the storytelling for conceptual understanding, so I was not bothered by those. But I did go looking online for a few photographs of things that I was particularly curious about.
Use caution with younger or sensitive readers, while details are not given, the deaths of many people are mentioned, from Norgay’s siblings/child to people attempting to summit Everest.
Items of Interest:
- Discusses life of Hillary and Norgay growing up
- Discusses history of attempts to climb Everest
- Discusses details of planning, preparation, and execution of Hillary and Norgay’s climb
- Discusses life of Hillary and Norgay after their famous climb