illustrated by Ted and Betsy Lewin
Summary
School Library Journal:
Gr 2–6—This colorful travelogue recounts the Lewins’ trip to Mongolia to experience the annual summer celebration Naadam, in particular the horse-racing competition. It focuses on young Tamir as he prepares for and participates in the event. Information about Mongolian culture and the holiday’s traditions are interspersed with an account of the competition. An introduction provides brief background, and unfamiliar terms are explained in context and in the glossary. Betsy Lewin’s lively line-and-wash cartoon sketches and spot drawings are intermingled with Ted Lewin’s sweeping watercolor paintings, which make effective use of light and rich color to portray both the intensity of the competition and the pageantry of the celebration. For the most part, the writing is tight and fast-paced, reflecting the event it describes. At other times, it becomes flowery and chatty. While perhaps not an essential purchase, the book provides a dynamic view of a culture rarely portrayed in children’s books and an event that is sure to interest many young readers.—Heide Piehler, Shorewood Public Library, WI –Heide Piehler (Reviewed June 1, 2008) (School Library Journal, vol 54, issue 6, p126)
Awards:
- ALA Notable Children’s Books – Middle Readers Category: 2009
- Booklist Editors’ Choice – Books for Youth – Middle Readers Category: 2008