The View From the Top
Anyone else fascinated with Mount Everest known locally as Chomolungma? As a teenager I read John Krakauer’s Into Thin Air about the single most tragic season in Everest history up to that point. I was compelled by the drive of the climbers; that need to make it to the top regardless of the consequences. Two At The Top: A Shared Dream of Everest by Uma Krishnaswami and Christopher Corr is a picture book about the first climbers to reach the summit of Everest and who lit the fire for the climbers who came after them.
Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary together climbed to the summit of Everest in 1953 but this story takes us back to the beginning, alternating between Norgay and Hillary, readers get to know the person behind the climber. They get to learn about how they grew up and when they decided they wanted to climb the highest peaks. The book shares how they worked together to climb and the peril they faced to achieve their ultimate goal. This story is inspiring for young readers, those who may dream of climbing tall mountains and those who have less lofty dreams, to show that achieving dreams sometimes takes a special mix of timing, people and drive.
At the end of the book, Uma Krishnaswami fills two, double page spreads with information all about Everest and other tall mountains in the world. She shares geographical information and science information for readers who want to know more about the geography and history of the Himalaya. She also included all of her sources and comparable books for young readers so you can source more information if your reader wants. Everest is like the Titanic, children are fascinated almost to the point of obsession with these places and events so the more there is for them to read at an age appropriate level the more curious they will be.
The illustrations by Christopher Corr are filled with big beautiful images and fill the pages with colour. The illustrations lend themselves impeccably to using this story as a read aloud and will captivate readers who are exploring the book independently.
