Everest by Sangma Francis
Illus. by Lisk Feng. Flying Eye Books, 2018. ISBN: 9781911171430.
(Age: All) Highly recommended. Themes: Mount Everest, Mountains,
Environment, Climbing. Everything you ned to know about the
magnificent Mount Everest is told within the covers of this highly
readable book. Aimed at mid to upper primary, as an older adult, I
found it riveting, using the contents pages to go back and glean
further bits of information, following the references given to find
out more and reading the glossary enthusiastically. I missed having
an index. From its start 300 million years ago when the huge land
mass, Pangaea was formed, to 50 million years ago when the Eurasian
and Asian continents pushed against each other to form the Himalayan
Mountains, the history of Mount Everest makes fascinating reading.
Supported with lots of diagrams, illustrations and maps, the book is
informative and highly illustrated.
Chapters on the mountain's environment includes facts about the
flora and fauna, and this then goes on to what lures climbers to try
to climb the mountain. Readers will find lots of stories of the
attempts to climb Everest plus a short story about the first
climbers who made it, and a fascinating double page about inventions
that have been made for climbers on this mountain. The trail taken
by most of the climbers is detailed, followed by several pages
looking at the mess they leave behind, now a problem which other
people have to clean up.
For people like me who wanted to know about deaths on Everest see here
for the story of the 200 plus bodies left on the mountain. The
mountain's part within the two religions of Buddhism and Hinduism is
outlined as is the part played by the Sherpa, a Buddhist group of
people who live in the Khumbu Valley and have led many expeditions
to the mountain because of their extraordinary skills at surviving
all that happens there. A double page is devoted to the Story of
Shambhal, while the myth of the Yeti is also discussed.
All in all a fascinating and informative read, one the holds
interest with its stories and illustrations. I can imagine many mid
to upper primary people poring over it.
Fran Knight