I don't review many picture books, so when I do, it's because I really love it. MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN is the true story of Dashrath Manjhi who spent twenty-two years carving a road through the mountain between two villages. Using nothing but a hammer and a chisel, he devoted his life to making medical care, clean water, and schools more accessible to his home village in India.
"Manjhi Moves a Mountain" is an amazing story of dedication, persistence, vision, and steadfast love. It is a true story about a real man named Dashrath Manjhi, who lived in India from 1934 until 2007. Manjhi lived in a remote, poor mountain village, where a mountain divided his poor village from a sister village with water, fertile land, and access to health care and education. People from Manjhi's village had to walk over 36 difficult miles to get to the sister village for access to crops, food, health care, and education, because of the difficult mountain obstacle between. Manjhi could see the differences between the two villages clearly, and he pondered the question of inequality between people at the top of the mountain. He came to a decision after throwing a stone against the mountainside in frustration, watching it dissolve into powder. This was his revelation! From then on, Manjhi spent every possible resource and effort to obtain a hammer and chisel and to use his full strength every day to work at pounding the stone of the mountain to make a road for the people from the poor village to travel to the rich village more easily. The work was hard, and had to be done in addition to the work of growing food and sustaining himself. Manjhi and his hammer became a common sight on the mountain, where he labored every day, chanting to himself, "Hold. Aim. Swing!" Though people told him he was crazy, that he should give up and accept inequality, he continued throughout his life, making slow progress in carving a pathway through the mountain. After 15 years, villagers could see real progress. People began to leave offerings of food, and new tools, to help him on his gigantic, self imposed task. Finally one day that was 22 years after Manjhi first had his vision, the last hammer blow was swung and the pathway that would become a road for everyone was open. Manjhi looked from one village to the other and saw not two villages, but one, "sharing water, hopes, dreams... and a man who had moved a mountain!" This true life story of an Indian sage who became revered and known as the Mountain Man is inspiring and moving to young readers age 5 and up. Beautiful earth-toned illustrations depict the mighty work of Manjhi and the awe and respect of his village friends. "Manjhi Moves a Mountain" is a true modern treasure and wisdom life story.
Moving mountains” is usually a hyperbolic metaphor for accomplishing seemingly impossible tasks. In the nonfiction picture book Manjhi Moves a Mountain, a dedicated laborer literally moves a mountain to connect two villages. Manjhi’s poor village “in the heart of India” is separated from a more prosperous village by a mountain. Manjhi throws a stone in frustration. Inspired by seeing a dust crumble from the stone, Manjhi begins to chip away at the mountain with his hammer and chisel. At first, other villagers laugh at his folly, but eventually they begin to respect his dedication. Twenty-two years later, Manjhi has moved the mountain, and the two villages are united.
What's Not Wrong reviews - Gary Anderson
When asked what kind of book I most enjoy reviewing, children’s picture books are right up there near the top. I’m a fairly pragmatic person, preferring stories about people, grownups or children, instead of trucks and animals that often are stand-ins for the real thing. When a picture book comes along in which the main character is a young man at the beginning of the story until the end when he has become a very old man, I’m already looking forward to reading it.
Bookin' with Sunny - Sunny Solomon
This true life story of an Indian sage who became revered and known as the Mountain Man is inspiring and moving to young readers age 5 and up. Beautiful earth-toned illustrations depict the mighty work of Manjhi and the awe and respect of his village friends. "Manjhi Moves a Mountain" is a true modern treasure and wisdom life story.
"This book gives children valuable insight into another culture in a manner that promotes tolerance."
Inventive artwork that uses a mix of shapes and shadow draws children into the story of the immigrant boy whose music captured the soul of America. The first spread shows an array of notes streaming from Berlin’s mouth as he passes the Statue of Liberty, and throughout the book, the focus is on Berlin’s immigrant roots and the love he feels for his new country, which helps him win such success. Although the text is factual, Churnin does take occasional liberties, as in an early scene where the child Berlin promises himself he’s going to write a song for the Statue of Liberty. The evocative prose brings readers close to tenement life, describing it with sounds like the “steady treadle of the sewing machine” and “the thump of his mother kneading dough.” Details of Berlin’s adult life will be found, for the most part, in the author’snote and time line. The last couple of pages capsulize his career and talk about the effect of “God Bless America” on the country. An appealing look at a timeless life.
Inventive artwork that uses a mix of shapes and shadow draws children into the story of the immigrant boy whose music captured the soul of America. The first spread shows an array of notes streaming from Berlin’s mouth as he passes the Statue of Liberty, and throughout the book, the focus is on Berlin’s immigrant roots and the love he feels for his new country, which helps him win such success. Although the text is factual, Churnin does take occasional liberties, as in an early scene where the child Berlin promises himself he’s going to write a song for the Statue of Liberty. The evocative prose brings readers close to tenement life, describing it with sounds like the “steady treadle of the sewing machine” and “the thump of his mother kneading dough.” Details of Berlin’s adult life will be found, for the most part, in the author’snote and time line. The last couple of pages capsulize his career and talk about the effect of “God Bless America” on the country. An appealing look at a timeless life.
09/01/2017
2017-07-15
