Two at the top A shared dream of Everest

Gr 1--4--This vibrantly illustrated picture book is the story of Tenzig Norgay and Edmund Hillary and the separate journeys that led to their climbing the world's highest mountain together. A note helps readers position themselves for what unfolds: "This story is an account of historical events, told through the literary device of imagined first-person voices." Each spread shows Norgay on the left, growing up in Nepal, and Hillary on the right, growing up in New Zealand; readers will learn how the men's experiences inspired and prepared them to become the first to climb Mount Everest. Norgay's and Hillary's extensive climbing experiences gave each man the stamina and strength to withstand the difficulties of that famous trek up Everest. Each man's story is given equal weight, which is refreshingly different from older accounts of that climb, where it was implied that Hillary was the star of the show. The book also notes the massive number of supporting climbers. The artwork is brightly colored and has a folkloric feel to it, perhaps a nod to the folklore of Nepal and New Zealand. The author's notes give background information on the mountain, as well as the region of Nepal, and there is a short bibliography that might lead readers to more research. VERDICT Readers and teachers will appreciate the dual points of view in this modern biography as opposed to the more singular view that readers have been offered in the past. A great choice for biography sections needing fresh perspectives on historical figures.--Debbie Tanner

Tenzing Norgay, who is ethnically Sherpa, grew up herding yaks in Nepal. Edmund Hillary, a White man, grew up in New Zealand, where he helped care for his father's bees. Norgay grew up in the shadow of Chomolungma, the mountain that English speakers call Mount Everest. Throughout his childhood, he climbed the nearby Himalayas, always dreaming of summiting the highest peak. Hillary was a dreamer too, a boy who walked barefoot to school in all weather, forever hoping for adventure. While Norgay's family affectionately scoffed at his dreams, Hillary's brother accompanied him on some of his earliest mountaineering expeditions in New Zealand. Hillary gained climbing practice when he served in New Zealand's air force, then with his parents while vacationing in the Swiss Alps. Norgay, on the other hand, gained climbing practice accompanying the many tourists who visited Nepal and wanted to see the Himalayas. Although these two men led disparate, distant lives, their love of mountaineering brought them together in 1953, when they became the first team to ever climb to the top of Chomolungma. This lyrical, clear, and narratively sophisticated picture book alternates between the voices of Norgay on the left and Hillary on the right until they meet. Each sentence is beautifully crafted and a pleasure to read. Corr's stylized, painterly illustrations burst with color and energy, wonderfully balancing the finely rendered text. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A fitting celebration of the first pair of mountaineers to summit Everest. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.