Greg Mortenson stumbled, lost and delirious, into a remote Himalayan village after a failed climb up K2. The villagers saved his life, and he vowed to return and build them a school. The remarkable story of his promise kept is now perfect for reading aloud. Told in the voice of Korphe’s children, this story illuminates the humanity and culture of a relevant and distant part of the world in gorgeous collage, while sharing a riveting example of how one person can change thousands of lives.
- ISBN: 9780803730588
- Author: Mortenson, Greg
- Published: 2009 , Dial Books
- Themes: mountain, mountain climbing, promise, School
- Descriptors: Asia, Nonfiction, Pakistan, Primary (ages 6-9)
- No. of pages: 32
Susan Roth’s collage illustrations capture the hard work that went into the building of the school and then the joy the children of Korphe had in learning in their new school. At the end of the book “A Korphe Scrapbook” features maps and photographs of the children of Korphe, Greg Mortenson,and the process of building the school. Roth describes in her Artist’s Note how she created the illustrations from actual artifacts. She writes, “For me, these hidden collages reach across the world to my fellow artists, connecting me to the faraway friends I one day hope to meet.” Greg Morrenson’s work in building schools like the one in Korphe in Pakistan and Afghanistan is a testament to how such peaceful actions can make a difference in a region that suffers from conflict. Visit the web site, Pennies for Peace, http://www.penniesforpeace.org/ to see how to support the building of more schools. The site also features K-12 curriculum ideas.
I loved the original book, Three Cups of Tea, and I’m very glad to see that there is now a version for children. I think this is a story that would really appeal to children and can help them think about the value of education in other cultures. It is also nice to see a counter story to the war news that shows the cultures involved in the headlines.