The Impossible Mountain

You are never too small for a big adventure.
Anna and her little brother Finn have lived their whole lives safe behind the stone wall of their village, never knowing what lay beyond. Until the day they peek over the edge and see the Mountain for the first time. Now, there's no stopping them. Not even the villagers who say it will be impossible.\nThe natural wonders of this epic journey are brought to breath-taking life by New York Times bestselling artist David Soman. Join Anna and Finn on a grand adventure where bravery, ingenuity, and grit will help them blaze a trail up the Impossible Mountain, and beyond their wildest dreams.\nFrom School Library Journal\nPreS-Gr 2—Mountains call to us with their grandeur, their difficulty, their inscrutability. They beckon us onward and upward. Anna is a young girl with purple hair who has grown up with her little brother Finn in a walled city. She has been told that the huge, stone wall protects everyone, but when she finally looks over the wall, she is completely unprepared for the dramatic, snow-capped mountain that she sees thrusting upward. At that moment, she knows she'll leave the safety of the village to climb the mountain and that she'll bring along Finn. As the two young children set off, the entire village urgently reminds them that they are being foolish. Undeterred, they leave. Fabulous spreads depict the great and terrifying beauties of nature that the children encounter, from the raging waterfall to the den of a gigantic bear. By taking obstacles one at a time and by supporting each other, they reach the summit. As they stand atop their known world, they realize how small their village is, but they also realize that the world is full of mountains "waiting to be climbed." VERDICT Soman crafts a beautiful story, wrapping it in a satisfying adventure that teaches readers to look beyond their safe and familiar world, to believe in themselves, to keep struggling, and to bring a good friend along any impossible journey.—Sally James, South Hillsborough Elem. Sch., CA