Book review : Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak

“Where the Wild Things Are” is perhaps Maurice Sendak’s best book. Narrating the fantasies of Max, an 8-year little boy with an older sister, who has no real contact with him, an absent father and a really busy mother, “Where the Wild Things Are” has been a classic book in children’s literature for more than 40 years. Originally published in 1963, the book still has a huge appeal on young readers, but also on adults.

Sendak tells a story of imagination with his unique writing style, which not only adds to the mysterious feel of the story, but it also gives children a brilliant experience with manoeuvring and creatively using the English language.

Dressed up in his distinctive wolf suit, Max chases the dog with a fork and growls at his mom. Mom, upset and tense, calls Max a “Wild Thing” and Max, upset and confused, shouts back “I’ll eat you up!” After his mischief, Max is sent to his room without supper.

There, Max fantasizes that his bedroom turns into miraculous scenery with a wild forest and a little boat in the ocean. Max sails in until he reaches a land full of “Wild Things”. The land is occupied by fearsome-looking monsters with yellow eyes, but Max manages to tame them with a single glance. The Wild Things realize that Max is the wildest thing of all and declare him “the King of all Wild Things.”  With Max on the leadership, the Wild Things have a fine time creating a hullabaloo, until Max becomes homesick and seeks for a place “where someone loves him best of all.”

Although the Wild Things protest, Max insists on leaving their land and returning to his bedroom. Max wakes up from his fantasies and returns to his bedroom, where he finds out that Mom has placed his hot supper.

Dealing so effortlessly with the conflict that Max faces between his mom’s anger and his anger, “Where the Wild Things Are” is one of the most well-known children’s stories of all time. Max uses his fantasy to overcome his anger, until homesick and lonely, he decides to leave his anger aside and return to the place where he is unreservedly loved by his mom. So, a message of wisdom and love is conveyed by the book. No matter where we go, what we do, or how angry we are, our family is the place to return and hide. And, by no means, we should let our anger separate us from the people who love us.

Max is a charming character. As any other child, Max fantasizes he is powerful and can overcome anything because he is angry. “Where the Wild Things Are” evokes his childish naivety in a well rounded manner. Max is a real child of his age, who makes mischiefs, gets angry and fantasizes how he can rule the world until he calms down and realizes the consequences – being in a foreign land with Wild Things, away from home.

Illustrated in a way that will always be in style, “Where the Wild Things Are” is a wonderfully simple story that attracts children. The transformation of Max’s bedroom into an extraordinary setting is a true delight. When Max is mischievous, illustrations evoke a real rumpus, but then, as he meets the “Wild Things”, they all dance through the colourful pages in some of the most fanciful and unique artwork in children’s literature. The “Wild Things” are both scary and comical reflecting Max’s feelings.

“Where the Wild Things Are” is the first book that deals with dark emotions in children. However, the creative imagination of Sendak creates a captivating, seamless story that can be read in one breath. Also, the simplicity of the language balances the imaginative judgment and the pleasures of home, while reflecting the creative ethics of children. In all this, the message of unreserved parental love encourages young readers and a happy ending to the story.

Undoubtedly, “Where the Wild Things Are” is one of the best children’s books ever. So, do not miss it!

Book review: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle

Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” is a simple but endearing book cleverly designed with everlasting appeal. The book is around for 40 years but it still conveys a fresh and vibrant essence as it traces the life of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” from an egg on a leaf – “In the light of the moon a little egg lay on the leaf” – until it turns to a colorful butterfly.

Eating different foods on different week days such as an apple on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, three plums on Wednesday, four strawberries on Thursday, five oranges on Friday and a bunch of different foods on Saturday, from lollipops and cupcakes to ice-cream, salami and watermelon, Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” gets bigger and fatter until it, inevitably, gets a stomach ache.

Baby caterpillar munches through the pages in a humorous and creative way. As he caterpillar eats, he leaves little holes behind in the various foods. The holes are fine for young children to poke their fingers in and play for hours with the thick pages and the holes. This kid-appealing dimension makes the book intriguing for toddlers, who can follow the caterpillar’s appetite and metamorphosis from a newborn maggot into a wonderful, two-page, purple, blue, red, green and yellow-wing butterfly. Holes are all lined-up with the pages of food so that it looks like the caterpillar has eaten through the whole book.

Illustrations are perfect creating a real feeling of the pictures in the book. Full of colorful, tissue-paper made pictures that actually introduce the counting game, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” is broadly used by kindergarten teachers as well as pre-school instructors. Using bright colors and broad brushstrokes, illustrator Eric Carle introduces toddlers to an artistic canvas where the love for colors, the counting game and the caterpillar’s lifecycle mingle in an effortlessly simple manner.

“The Very Hungry Caterpillar” is an intriguing book that communicates in an interactive and educational way with pre-school kids. Providing quite a lot of information about the life-cycle of a caterpillar, it teaches children how the caterpillar starts small, grows larger, builds a cocoon and emerges.

The book addresses also the importance of healthy eating. From Monday to Friday the caterpillar consumes fruits, but on Saturday he eats anything unhealthy and ends up with a stomach ache. Many children consider that this happens “because he eats food that is bad for him.”  

Children may also build up their memory skills when trying to memorize orderly the food that the caterpillar ate. They also learn to count and to identify the colors as the week progresses and the caterpillar eats different fruits.

The most interesting part of the caterpillar’s story is that, instead of entering a chrysalis as it would be expected, it enters a cocoon. After several parents’ inquiries about this allegedly irrational fact, Carle explained that there are caterpillars that actually become butterflies in a cocoon. Therefore, the book provides also scientific information about the caterpillar species and how they develop into butterflies.

“The Very Hungry Caterpillar” is one of the most well-liked children’s books. Written in a simple, yet creative manner, it has sold over 12 million copies around the world and has been translated into 47 different languages since 1969 that it was originally published. To my view, it is a straightforward, colorful and didactic book for young children offering a rich food vocabulary and introducing toddlers to the sequence of the week days.

Book review: Big Words for Little People, by Jamie Lee Curtis

Featuring an energetic group of children, who dance around the pages and learn new words, “Big Words for Little People” is the eighth “Book to Grow By” created by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell.

Narrating scenes from the life of seven multicultural siblings, “Big Words for Little People” features characters that everyone could recognize in a family. A pre-teen daughter who desperately wants her privacy; a son who loves magic tricks; twin toddlers who are picky eaters; a new baby girl; an adopted African American preschooler; a vibrant Asian girl. All these characters, anchored by an orange tabby, a little dog and a fat duck create a picture book that offers eccentric pleasure.

“Big Words for Little People” aims at pointing out that, although each kid is different and has a unique personality, kids are able to relate and their uniqueness is what makes life interesting.

Tackling impressively big words such as privacy, impossible, stupendous, superb, celebrate, consequence, irate, cooperate, appropriate, inappropriate, patience, disgusting, understand, inconsiderate, considerate, responsible, persevere and different, the book reveals how fun, but also empowering is to understand the big words. Curtis uses challenging words in a realistic way featuring examples of how they should be properly used. Spelled out in vibrant illustrations and presented in an uneven rhyme, each new word covers a wide range of words that relate to common knowledge, but also refer to other important issues such as privacy, the benefits of cooperation, the need to think about the consequences and the meaning of patience and persistence in life.

The most interesting part of “Big Words for Little People” is that it introduces children to complex terminology. All the words used in the book are words that children hear in school and wonder about their meaning. The book builds the children’s vocabulary without limiting their vocabulary to certain, small words. In addition, Cornell’s extraordinary, watercolor over pen and ink illustrations bring life to every single page and provide details about each word with fine humor.

In the last pages, apart from the big words, the book features also small words of major importance such as love, respect and family. Children learn the meaning of those important words in a bright and funny way and are motivated to have own discussions with their parents.

Although, at first sight, the words used in the book may seem too difficult for young children, vocabulary researchers suggest that kindergarten children can learn sophisticated words and actually use them when they talk. Curtis has done an excellent job by introducing all this new vocabulary in such a charming way, while focusing on the positive values derived from the experiences described in the book.

With “Big Words for Little People” Curtis, once again, demonstrates her remarkable sensibility for the silly and awkward moments of children that, in fact, determine kid behavior. To my view, “Big Words for Little People” is highly recommended and I know for sure that both children and parents will enjoy reading it more than once.

Book review: The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman

Offering an absolutely stunning fantasy novel about life, death, family and growing up, Neil Gaiman doesn’t seem to be bothered by the fear for death and the dark that repels people from visiting graveyards at night. He doesn’t even consider that death and fear shouldn’t be themes for a children’s book. In his best-selling novel, “The Graveyard Book”, Gaiman combines the charm of life with the macabre of death creating a delightful metaphor of childhood.

Presenting the graveyard as a sanctuary from danger and reflecting the boundaries between the graveyard and the living world, “The Graveyard Book” starts with the murders of a husband, wife and daughter that are already accomplished when the story begins. The fourth member of the family, an 18-month-old baby, escapes Jack, the mysterious knife-wielding killer, and toddles to a nearby graveyard.

Following the baby’s scent, Jack enters the graveyard. Although he is sure the baby is there, still he cannot trace him. Confused and disturbed, he tries to understand what a baby boy would do in a graveyard at night and all of a sudden he decides to leave the graveyard and take the downhill street. Convinced that he had mixed the scents, Jack heads off.

The graveyard’s inhabitants, a vampire, a witch and the ghosts of the dead, save the boy and nurse him. A ghost couple, Mr. and Mrs. Owens, adopts him and gives him a name. As Bod - the short for Nobody Owens – grows older, he gets used to the dark, learns the secrets of the graveyard, receives the Freedom of the Graveyard and learns his strengths and weaknesses.

Scared that Jack would return for him, Bod learns how to hide in plain sight and decides to stay at the graveyard, quiet and unreachable, until he realizes that all his accomplishments have no value in the world of the living. So, then he decides to confront the enemy.

Bod is a pleasant character. Although he feels lonely, he knows that his graveyard friends love him. Possessing great courage for his age and knows how to think properly, Bod grows up in maturity and good judgment. His education comprises both of Renaissance humours and Victorian manners, but also of how to fade, slide and dream-walk. The characters that surround Bod are also wonderful with their distinctive behavior and characteristics and all together they induce to the reader the norms of a graveyard.

Great writing doesn’t have to be pompous. Meticulously balanced between mystery and revelation, “The Graveyard Book” is a masterpiece of children’s literature. Ranging between hunt and meditation, triviality and craziness, this brief, spicy adventure has mystery, stimulation and insight in equal doses. Gaiman’s excellent writing and Dave McKean’s illustrations offer that little extra something that makes “The Graveyard Book” a book of quality, atmosphere and fantasy. Mc Kean’s drawings, without being frightening, reflect the physical differences between Bod and the inhabitants of the graveyard. The boy is depicted as a solid person, while the other characters are rather ethereal.

“The Graveyard Book” is an outright appealing story that is skilfully narrated through an amusing cast of ghostly characters. Gaiman conveys the message of freedom even if this is exercised among gravestones and creates an almost homey atmosphere. Readers focus on the scary and unreal story of Bod, but Gaiman’s writing is so expressively sincere that readers are carried away in a magic world. This contradiction between fear, mystery and magic makes “The Graveyard Book” a haunting prose.

“The Graveyard Book” will be adapted for filmmaking and directed by Neil Jordan, the Irish Academy Award-winning director.

Book review: Guess How Much I Love You, by Sam Mcbratney

Reflecting the need for reassurance that all children seek that their parents love them unreservedly, Sam McBratney’s “Guess How Much I Love you” deals with the persistence of a young rabbit, Little Nutbrown Hare, who thinks he can measure love.

Searching for words to tell his father, Big Nutbrown Hare, how much he loves him, Little Nutbrown Hare holds on tight to his father’s ears looking for his full attention.

“Guess How Much I Love you,” he says.
“Oh I don’t think I could guess that,” Big Nutbrown Hare answers.

Little Nutbrown Hare opens his arms as wide as he can to prove the enormity of his love.

“I love you as high as I can reach!”

But Big Nutbrown Hare can open his arms wider.

Then, a sweet, tender game begins where Little Nutbrown Hare comes up with numerous love demonstrations to prove that his love for Big Nutbrown Hare is bigger.

“I love you as high as I can hop!”

“I love you to my toes!”

After some time, feeling tired, Little Nutbrown Hare is ready to admit defeat. But, suddenly he thinks that nothing is bigger than the sky.

“I love you right up to the moon,” he says and falls asleep.

“I love you right up to the moon and back,” Big Nutbrown Hare answers.

McBratney’s sweet, simple story teaches young children that love is not an easy thing to measure. Completing each other on how they love each other, father and son produce a fun story. The Little Hare meets tough competition as his father’s love is always bigger than his. In the last sentence, the Little Hare comes up with a smart declaration and you really think that he finally managed to measure love. But, then father comes up with a smarter declaration that obviously has no answer. What love could be bigger than the one that flies right to the moon and back?

McBratney conveys his message narrating a wise, charming and funny story in a simple and kid-appealing manner. Big Nutbrown Hare’s repetitive answers unveil the unconditional love parents have for their children reflecting how important the love of a father for his child is. Little Nutbrown Hare’s declarations reveal the extravagant way children think when they insist on their feelings and want to show that they do anything better than their parents. All this game puts the entire family into a relaxing mood and peaceful state of mind.

Anita Jeram captures the feeling of the story delightfully. Her almost monochromatic background, enriched by pen-and-wash artwork in the light tones of brown and gray, reflects the peaceful state of mind that children are in, when tucked in their bed, ready to fall asleep. Both rabbits, Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare, are expressive, although they are sketched without human attributes. The angle of the ears, the plain gestures and facial expressions reflect calmness and serenity. The entire illustration is as much as required to enhance the simple story of sweet familial love with insight.

Originally published in 1994, “Guess How Much I Love you” is definitely one of the best children’s books. Conveying emotion and sentimentality, it manages with no more than 30 words spread in 20 pages to convey the meaning of parental / familial love in an effortless way. For me, “Guess How Much I Love you” is one of those readings that make you think how much you love your children. And this is good enough to read the book over and over again; and enjoy it right up to the moon and back.

Book review: Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown

Being a short poem of goodnight wishes written in basic rhyme, Margaret Wise Brown’s “Goodnight Moon” describes the bedtime ritual of a young rabbit saying goodnight to all the objects in the room. Originally published in 1947, “Goodnight Moon” is a classic of the modern literature for children. Straightforward and appealing to any age, “Goodnight Moon” is heartfelt and a plain joy to read.

As the fire crackles in the fireplace and the moon rises in a chilly night sky, the young rabbit is getting ready for sleep. His grandmother knits on her rocking chair with two tabbies at her feet playing in front of the fireplace and one mouse appearing from nowhere.

“Goodnight room.”

“Goodnight moon.”

“Goodnight cow jumping over the moon.”

“Goodnight light and the red balloon.”

Featuring quiet poetry, “Goodnight Moon” is perfect for calming down children to sleep. The words rhyme effortlessly and bring the story together in such an easy way that, children remember and recite the words. The book is also a perfect tool for parents to cite its words and talk to their children about the moon, the night, the shadows, what goodnight means, what goodbye means, how the sky gets darker, how the moon gets more distant, how the silence of the night puts everything to sleep.

The rhyming motivo of the words, repetitive and momentous, helps children to learn new words in an amusing and educative method. All children love to repeat refrains. And all children love to postpone their night sleep finding cute excuses to stay up a little more. With the repetition of the word “goodnight” the book offers an amusing game where children try to imagine what the next to say goodnight to could be.

The book’s simple, yet endearing illustrations that swap between tiny ink drawings and vibrantly-colored views of the rabbit’s room are impressive. Some of the details that are immediately noticed in Clement Hurd’s illustrations is how the room gets progressively darker, how the moon rises outside the window, how the clock progresses from 7pm to 8:10pm, how the color progressively disappears as the rabbit goes on saying goodnight. The open book on the book-self is “The Runaway Bunny”, another Brown’s classic with illustrations by Clement Hurd. Using a wide variety of angles, Hurd creates an enjoyable setting, although the whole story develops in one room. Children may search the next object that the rabbit would say goodnight to.

“Goodnight Moon” has been the best children’s bedtime book for over 60 years. Being small and simple enough for young children or toddlers to rhyme, it helps to the understanding of some simple meanings of children’s nightly routine. Also, children may be taught about the difference among families by seeing how another kid’s room may look like. Reflecting a sense gratitude for anything that surrounds us, “Goodnight Moon” offers a profound lesson of life. To my view, it is highly recommended and a perfect way to put your child to sleep.

Book review: Fancy Nancy, by Jane O’connor

Fancy Nancy has a passion for pink! Fancy Nancy loves to wear fancy outfits! Fancy Nancy wears lace-trimmed socks, sparkling tiaras, and pink shoes! She has a room decorated with Christmas lights and paper flowers! She loves putting decorative, frilly toothpicks in her sandwich! Marabelle Lavinia Chandelier is her fancy doll! Fancy Nancy is a wannabe princess who adores glitter on her favorite ice-cream! Fancy Nancy uses unusual words!

All these are the main interests of Jane O’Connor’s “Fancy Nancy”, one of the most adorable books for children. Teaching the familial love and the importance of supportive family, “Fancy Nancy” tells the story of a little girl, who hates being ordinary and loves to be fancy.

One night, Fancy Nancy decides to take her un-fancy family out and make them fancy too. Feeling that she is a glamour queen surrounded by boring, ordinary people, Fancy Nancy is determined to rescue her family from their dull existence by accessorizing their humdrum wardrobes.

Although her family tries to understand her tastes, and are even willing to share them to a certain extent, Nancy feels that she has to offer them “Learn to be fancy” lessons with quick notes on the fridge. Nancy helps them being dressed in ornaments and extravagant scarves. And then Nancy cries in enjoyment “Ooo-la-la! My family is classy! That’s a fancy word for fancy.”

The message of the book is pretty straightforward. Fanciness is achievable to anyone with a can-do spirit. Fancy Nancy’s over-the-top elegant vocabulary pays off with the message of love conveyed after the disastrous dinner at the local pizzeria. Although the family experiences a messy situation and Fancy Nancy is embarrassed, the book ends with simple declarations of love. “All I say back is, “I love you”, because there isn’t a fancy way of saying that.” Eventually, Fancy Nancy discovers that her family is supportive, even covered up in ice-cream parfait! Fancy Nancy learns that much more important than glitter is to be loved and that there is no fancy word to express love, except to say “I love you.”

O’Connor delivers a lovely story of family love with a charismatic character who enjoys glamour and who likes sharing it. The short, perky sentences reflect a fancy vocabulary that helps children to introduce themselves to a whole new vocabulary in a very clever way. As Nancy explains that her lace-trimmed socks make her play soccer better, young readers are taught unusual words. Also, the happily colored illustrations of Robin Preiss-Glasser are mingling color and action. Children love the pictures as the story develops and parents find a way to share with them the unusual vocabulary.

Full of girly objects of obsession, the book has a huge appeal on young girls, who love to be fancy-schmancy like Nancy. Children love to pretend they are extraordinary creatures and Nancy’s fanciness help her be who she truly is, uninfluenced from her family and friends. Young readers see themselves in the fancy diva. However, all this happens in a balanced, innocent and unforced way. So, definitely thumbs up for “Fancy Nancy”! It is highly recommended!

Book review: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See, by Bill Martin Jr.

“Brown bear, brown bear, What do you see?”
“I see a red bird looking at me.”
“Red bird, red bird, What do you see?”
“I see a yellow duck looking at me.”

When I first read this to my son, I immediately sensed the vibes of a classic book of children’s literature. Martin’s tender rhyming and Carle’s stunning, energetically colored illustrations make “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” a classic picture book that all children must read.

On each page, the reader asks a favorite animal what he sees in a rhyming tone; the animal responds with another animal.

“Blue Horse, Blue Horse, What do you see?”

“I see a green frog looking at me.”

This pattern is repeated in all pages until, in the last page, the students in a classroom see all the animals.

I have to admit that I found Martin’s trick very clever. Although the concept is pretty straightforward, it gives magic to the book. With a simple question “what do you see?” children learn the colors, the animals and how to rhyme. Each rhyme leads effortlessly to the next one, while the excellent tissue-paper illustrations anchor the collage of animals. The use of a simple repetitive language actually intrigues children who love to rhyme and to repeat the new words they learn.

What I like the most, though, in “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” are the illustrations. Strong colors and jagged texture help delineate animal bodies more sharply. Also, the animal positions are kind of static, which adds a minimal dimension to the pictures without making them less interesting. For example, the red bird is sketched in a flying position with glossy body, a sharp beak and a defined tail; Blue Horse shows his teeth; Green frog has a pink tongue. All these details create a great atmosphere and add a live essence in the book.

In 2007, “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” has celebrated its 40th anniversary and came out in a larger size, with an updated cover, and an audio CD included. To be honest, I preferred this edition over the original one, mostly because with the CD my son has been able to follow the story better. Reading the book along with the CD has made the picture book liverier and even more interesting. Also, Bill Martin and Eric Carle talk in the CD about the book, while the voices of the animals are performed by the excellent actress, Gwyneth Paltrow.

To my view, “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” is a must in children’s literature because it helps young children and toddlers to learn new things with a rhythmic repetition and plenty of identifiable pictures. Without offering any extravaganza or any sophisticated plot, the book has earned a top place in the children’s book hall of fame.

Book review: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, by Judi Barrett

Oh, I would love to live in a land where I would never have to worry about my next meal; where I would never have to cook; where I would never have to go for grocery shopping; where life would be delicious and relaxing.

In the town of Chewandswallow, all this is a reality. Life is delicious! Raining soup and juice, snowing mashed potatoes and blowing storms of hamburgers, the sky over Chewandswallow is full of surprises. Three times per day, the weather serves people with different meals.

Judi Barrett’s “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” is a charming children’s book. Starting on a Sunday morning with grey sketches of a typical family eating breakfast, the book is an incredible journey to imagination and creativity. The grandfather flips pancakes and the kids brag about how much they can eat. The family pets run around the kitchen, grandfather is distracted and one pancake gets stuck on the ceiling. As it falls on his brother’s head, grandfather remembers of a story. After the chaotic daytime, grandfather decides to tell the kids the story of Chewandswallow, a small town, nested between mountains and oceans.

Although being like any other town with shops, restaurants and jobs, with people working and kids playing, Chewandswallow was different because “Everything that everyone ate came from the sky.” All the residents of the town walked around prepared to eat the fell that fell from the sky. And everyone was happy with this lifestyle as they wouldn’t have to worry about money for grocery shopping, cooking or wasting time in preparing the meal.

One day, the generous weather changed and Chewandswallow was covered with peanut butter and mayonnaise. Even worse, the food kept growing bigger and bigger. Huge pancakes asphyxiated the school and a giant tomato tornado swept Chewandswallow away. Confused and panicky, people had to abandon their homes.

Huge sandwiches served as boats so that people could find their way across the oceans and the mountains in search of a new town. When they got to a safe place, they realized that food would no longer fall from the sky and that they had to fight for a living. After quite sometime they all got used to the new lifestyle and they forgot about Chewandswallow.

One of my first thoughts when I first read “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” was that there is no story and no message in this rather childish plot. What was the meaning of distraction of Chewandswallow? And why would anyone read such a disastrous scenario to a child before bedtime?

Then, I realized that there are a lot of things in the book that actually make it a children’s classic. Written in a neat and charming way, the book features innovative ideas and writing. For example, “mustard clouds”, “soda drizzle” and a “wind that brings in baked beans” are sprinkled in the book pages creating an utterly pioneer atmosphere. The book is so easy to read that children may read it by themselves.

Ron Barrett’s excellent illustrations are detailed and vivid, picturing Chewandswallow residents running after food, trying to catch it on their plates. To my view, “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” is a hymn to creativity. And after seeing my son repeating the story and thinking how it would be to live in a town like Chewandswallow, I realized that this is the book’s magnitude: its entertaining fantasy.

Book reviews: Listen to the Wind, by Greg Mortenson

Have you ever wondered how simple it is to change the world?

The inspirational story of “Listen to the Wind” by Greg Mortenson is a story full of love, kindness and peace. Evoking the magnitude of hospitality and praising the differences in religion and culture, Mortenson encourages readers to forget about politics and prejudices and he remind us that there are – still – many good people around.

The story is a personal experience.

Dr. Greg Mortenson, a strong-minded mountain climber, has decided to climb K2, one of the world’s highest and most dangerous peaks in the Himalayas, when he got lost in the wild Pakistani mountains. Exhausted and discouraged, Mortenson found himself in the small Balti village of Korphe. There, he got help from the villagers, who took care of his health and gave him food, tea and a shelter. Mortenson has recovered slowly and, little by little, he begun to understand the Balti culture and ethics.

“The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger.”

“The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest.”

“The third time you share tea, you are family, and for our family, we are prepared to do anything, even die.”

The hospitality of Korphe people has amazed Mortenson. Those poor and forgotten people have brought him back to life with their mental strength and philosophy of life. They didn’t care about religious differences or nationality. All they have cared about was to help a stranger regaining his health.

Mortenson felt that he had to return the villager’s hospitality, but in a way that it would be truly valuable for them. Getting the advice of Haji Ali, Korphe’s wise man, Mortenson let himself guided by the voices of the wind. Closing his eyes, he heard the children’s voices studying. He, then, vowed to build a school for Korphe’s children.

The doctor returned to California and raised $12,000. He, then, flew back to Pakistan and started buying supplies for building the school. However, as there was no bridge to transfer the supplies to the building site, Mortenson headed back to California and raised additional funds for the bridge.

Mortenson’s efforts have developed into the Central Asia Institute. Having suffered from armed kidnapping, having endured CIA investigations and having received numerous hate mails and death threats from Americans after 9/11 for helping Muslims with education, did not discourage Mortenson from establishing more than 78 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan providing education to more than 28,000 children. Also, his top priority was to educate girls in order to promote economic development, peace, and prosperity.

“You can drop bombs, build roads, or put in electricity, but until the girls are educated a society won’t change.”

On March 23, 2009, the Pakistani government honored Greg Mortenson with Sitara-e-Pakistan, Pakistan’s highest civil award, for the courage he exposed and his humanitarian effort to promote education and literacy in Pakistan for the last fifteen years.

“Listen to the Wind” has excellent illustrations by Susan L. Roth.  Using colorful fabrics and a variety of pierced scraps of paper, Roth has constructed unique works of art to express the connection between people and cultures. Bright, textural collages call to mind the roughness of the ground and the primitive life in the Pakistani mountains. Getting inspired from actual artifacts of Baltistan, Roth brings alive the freezing immensity of the mountains and the warm charm of Korphe’s children.

Illustrations offer a warm, tactile dimension to the book to such an extent that readers may almost touch and feel the headscarves of the children of Korphe. “A Korphe Scrapbook” included in the picture book displays photographs of the events, maps of the Baltistan area and additional information about Korphe’s villagers.

No matter what religion we believe in and what are the norms and rules of our society, there are times that answers fly on the wind, revealing miracles to those in need. “Listen to the Wind” is the true spirit of Mortenson’s experience and mission anchored by Pakistan’s background and history.

Share this inspirational story with your children.