Kami and the Yaks

May 14, 2007
S
et in a rural Asian community and featuring a child hero with a physical disability, this debut picture book appears to head toward a moral lesson, but Dodson's skill and Stryer's fast-moving text combine to provide a genuinely rousing story. Kami and his family are Himalayan Sherpas and their strong, sturdy yaks are their most important possessions. When the yaks don't return one day, Kami sets out to look for them with his whistle: “Its buzz tickled his lips, though he could not hear its shrill call because he was deaf.” Although he finds the animals and discovers why they won't come back, he can't convince his father to take his gestured warnings seriously. Kami's deafness figures into the story, but it's his grit and resourcefulness that drive the action forward. With a nimble brush, Dodson creates an entire Himalayan world for readers, who—like Kami—can only gather knowledge from what they see. Kami's heavy coat and hat, the sheer cliffs and paths that make up the landscape and the patient yaks all seem close enough to touch. In the end, Kami helps Father rescue the yaks; in contrast to his earlier anger, “Father picked him up and clasped him to his chest.” For all the adversity Kami faces, he has the opportunity to do real, important work for his family that modern children often do not; they may read his story not just with interest, but with envy. Ages 5-8.

April 1, 2007
K-Gr 3-Readers will be transported to the rugged Himalayas with this story of a deaf Sherpa boy in Nepal, who braves a storm in search of his family's yaks. He finds the animals herded around a young calf whose leg is wedged between rocks. Unable to rescue the animal alone, Kami whistles for help. When no one comes, he slips and slides down the icy mountain to get his father and brother. He relates the problem through mime. Together the family rescues the calf, and the plucky hero proudly leads the way home. Although Kami's disability plays an important role in the story, the author focuses on his strength. Readers will find inspiration in his abilities, his resourcefulness, and his courage. Dark, yet vivid watercolors extend the text, as both awaken the senses to the sights, sounds, and feel of the icy cold mountains' austere beauty. This story opens the doors to new worlds and gives readers a character to admire."Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2007
Set in the Himalayas, this strikingly illustrated title focuses on a young, deaf Sherpa boy. When Kami spots his father and brother high on the hillside, searching unsuccessfully for the family's yaks, he follows a hunch and sets off in a different direction to find the animals. During the perilous climb, a storm begins, and although Kami finds the yaks, one is caught between rocks. After scrambling back to camp, Kami uses gestures to communicate his discovery to his father and brother. At last his family understands, follows him to the site, and rewards Kami with appreciative hugs. An author's note offers some cultural context, but more information about the lives of deaf people within the Sherpa culture would have been welcome (is sign language used, for example?). Many children will recognize Kami's frustration and then pride after he bravely solves a family problem, and Dodson's skillfully executed, atmospheric watercolors greatly extend the story's drama and tenderness. Pair this with Barbara Helen Berger's " All the Way to Lhasa" (2002).\i (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)