School Library Connection Archive

Everest

Everest Book cover
The Remarkable Story of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay
Author(s): Alexandra Stewart
Illustrator(s): Joe Todd-Stanton
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Copyright Year: 2020
ISBN/ISSN: 9781547601592
REVIEWED December 1, 2019
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommended Grade Levels: 6-12

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.

Tena Litherland, Central Library Director (Retired), Webb School of Knoxville, Knoxville, TN
Publisher's Product Description

In the late morning of May 29th 1953, the sun was shining brightly on the roof of the world, a gentle breeze was blowing and two men were there to witness it for the first time ever … Their names were Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay and the roof of the world was Everest.

This is the breathtaking story of how two very different yet equally determined men battled frost-biting temperatures, tumbling ice rocks, powerful winds and death-defying ridges to climb the world's highest mountain. Join these two unlikely heroes on the most amazing of adventures and discover the impact of hundreds of men and women that helped Hillary and Tenzing achieve their goal. But triumphs can be marred with tragedy as not everyone who climbs Everest survives ...

With a beautiful foreword by the greatest living explorer of our time, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, this brilliant book combines fresh and contemporary illustrations by Joe Todd-Stanton with Alexandra Stewart's captivating writing and publishes in time to celebrate the centenary of Edmund Hillary's birth. 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.

Media Type: Book, eBook
Binding: HC
# Pages: 64
Price: $21.99
Genre: Nonfiction
Sub-Genre: Biographies