Everest

This oversized hybrid, which is both graphic novel and picture book, portrays the dual stories of Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Tibet (Nepal), the first two people to stand atop the highest point on earth. Tenzing Norgay, the proverbial success story, is stunningly portrayed. His humble start as a yak herder eventually grew to include international recognition and a position as a Sirdar, or manager, of Sherpas. In contrast, Hillary grew up in New Zealand with a wealthy family. Hillary's love of mountains began by chance during World War I when he joined the New Zealand Air Force. Previous failed European attempts and expeditions to climb Everest, set against a background of world wars and historical events, are also related. Text and illustrations clearly portray the hostile conditions of climbers who battle frostbite, dwindling supplies, lack of oxygen, hostile mountain terrains of ice, gale force winds, and extreme weather. The text also clearly illustrates the vast amount of personnel, food, and supplies necessary to support these expeditions. Life-or-death circumstances and strenuous effort are cast against the breathtaking triumph of standing atop the world's highest peak. The informative text is interwoven with colorful illustrations that reveal spectacular mountains scenes and demonstrate the majesty and awe of Mount Everest. Readers will enjoy looking for Tenzig's signature smile throughout. Space allowed for text is limited, so the font size small, yet there is still lots of information packed into this slim volume. Lacking are the roles of women in the expeditions and the effect of colonialism on the area's history. Because curious readers will wonder what Hillary and Norgay actually looked like, photos should have been included in the forward. Regardless, the enduring friendship of these two unlikely heroes will resonate with readers.