Horse Song: The Naadam of Mongolia (Adventures Around the World) - Softcover

Ted Lewin; Betsy Lewin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 162014185X ISBN 13: 9781620141854

Publisher: Lee & Low Books, 2008

Synopsis

Ted and Betsy Lewin's illustrated travelogue story of their trip to Mongolia to watch young boy and girl jockeys race horses in the traditional Naadam summer festival.

About this title

About the Author

TED and BETSY LEWIN have been traveling the world together for decades and have chronicled many of their wide-ranging adventures in books for young readers. They both have won numerous awards and honors for their books, including Caldecott Medal Honors, ALA Notables, New York Times Best Illustrated Books, and School Library Journal Best Books. When not teaching, visiting with young fans, or traveling, the Lewins are usually drawing and painting in their Brooklyn, New York, home studios.

Review

The Lewins follow travelogue titles such as Top to Bottom Down Under (2005) with another picture-book chronicle of international adventure. This time, they visit Mongolia, where they witnessed the Naadam festival a celebration that brings together nomadic tribes for sports competitions. The most popular events are the horse races featuring child jockeys who guide their half-wild steeds through along, arduous course. In simple, captivating language, the Lewins describe their long journey to the horse trainers' camp, where they connect with a skilled nine-year-old jockey, Tamir, and his family, and learn about local customs from the specifics of Mongolian horse wrangling to staple foods, such as mares' milk. Then the festival begins, and the authors give a heart-pounding, moment-by-moment account of Tamir's race: The crowd strains forward. The pounding of hooves grows louder. . . . The stallions are at full gallop. Throughout, clearly presented cultural specifics mix with vivid sensory perceptions that will help children imagine themselves on the windy steppes, but it's the color-washed sketches and beautiful full-page spreads of the thundering horses and jubilant festival goers that will truly capture readers' attention and draw them into this handsome, heartfelt glimpse of a rarely explored culture. Children, and teachers, seeking more information will appreciate the closing spreads, which include additional cultural commentary and a glossary. --Booklist

Betsy Lewin's lively line-and-wash cartoon sketches and spot drawings are intermingled with Ted Lewin's sweeping watercolor paintings, which make effective use of light and rich color to portray both the intensity of the competition and the pageantry of the celebration. . . . The book provides a dynamic view of a culture rarely portrayed in children's books and an event that is sure to interest many young readers. --School Library Journal

This sojourn will not only take armchair travelers to the other side of the planet, it'll make them feel comfortable and welcome when they arrive. --Kirkus Reviews

About this edition

• Publisher: Lee & Low Books
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 162014185X
• ISBN 13: 9781620141854
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Ted Lewin, Betsy Lewin