Book Review - THE TOP OF THE WORLD - TWU LS 5603 assignment

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jenkins, Steve.  1999.  THE TOP OF THE WORLD: CLIMBING MOUNT EVEREST.  Boston, MA:  Houghton Mifflin Company.  ISBN 0395942187

 CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Jenkins draws upon the expertise of mountaineers, authors, a geologist, and a climber/photographer to garner his information for this unique trek to Mt. Everest.  His information is categorized and flows smoothly.  He briefly describes the mountain, the country, the history, the culture, and the people of the Himalayas.  He introduces us to five acclaimed mountaineers, three who accomplished the fete and two who perished.  Readers are educated in the appropriate apparel and equipment needed.  Over half the book is dedicated to explaining the difficulties of this climbing experience and the dangers one might expect to encounter. 

Jenkins is also the illustrator of this book with a background as a graphic designer.  For this book, and many others, he uses torn or cut paper collage.  This effect is eye-catching, but does not reveal the natural beauty or the three dimensional reality of the actual scenery. 

AWARDS

1999 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards Winner, Nonfiction
2000 Orbis Pictus Honor Book
School Library Journal Best Books of 1999
Horn Book Fanfare 2000 List
Notable Books for Children, 2000 ALA-ALSC
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
Texas Bluebonnet Books for 2000-2001

REVIEW EXCERPTS

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “a compendium of historical information and practical tips…showcase for his stunning cut-paper collage….text is a little disjointed….a few blocks of copy, dropped onto the textured are, are simply hard to read”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Jenkins' paper cut illustrations are extraordinary--feathery light to catch the effect of fog radiating off the mountains, mottled and striated to replicate rocky plateaus, pebbled to look like ice flowers”

HORN BOOK MAGAZINE: “On nearly every spread there is an inset or sidebar providing additional information…. and other facts that are of interest but would break the forward motion of the main story. Exceptional design handles these bits of text remarkably well: the insets are clearly separate from the central spread, using a different background color and smaller type, while the torn paper edges of each sidebar allow it to become integrated into the spread. In a few instances, however, the typeface threatens to become lost in the texture and color variations of its background paper.”

NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW: “In a brief bibliography, the artist cites the right experts, like Chris Bonington, Reinhold Messner and Galen Rowell. The book teaches children about the thrills and risks of big mountains without frightening them.”

CONNECTIONS

Other books to read
Chester, Jonathan.  YOUNG ADVENTURERS’ GUIDE TO EVEREST.  ISBN 9781582460697
Graham, Ian.  AVOID CLIMBING MOUNT EVEREST! (THE DANGER ZONE).  ISBN 
            97819066714321
Jenkins, Steve.  WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN SOMETHING WANTS TO EAT YOU?  ISBN 
            9780618152438Weintraub, Aileen.  MOUNT EVEREST.  ISBN  9780823956364
Wibberley, Leonard.  THE EPICS OF EVEREST (Laurel-leaf Mayflower book).  ASIN
             B0007DMKPSLessons
Mount Everest Math Puzzles Map found at http://mteverest.homestead.com/mathpuzzles.html
Video games about Mt. Everest found at http://mteverest.com/games/
Science facts and information using Mt. Denali at http://pbskids.org/nova/denali/index.html
See how Steve Jenkins made his book MOVE! at
            http://www.stevejenkinsbooks.com/makingbooks.html