THE SILENCE IN THE MOUNTAINS

Establishing roots in a new country is hard for Iksander and his family, who had to flee their war-torn homeland. As the family adjusts, Iksander knows that something is missing, that there is something he left behind. Each of his family members tries to appease his homesickness, but it’s Iksander’s grandfather who shows him how to appreciate his new country, and helps him locate a place where there are similarities to the silence found in the mountains of home. This heartwarming tale, with its simple, meditative narrative, will comfort any child who has left a special place behind. Soentpiet’s landscapes—which vary from the majestic mountains and olive trees of Iksander’s homeland, to the bustle of the city, to the peaceful green hills of an American farm—are breathtaking. His work also captures tender gestures and stirring subtleties such as the vague image of the Statue of Liberty as seen from an airplane window. (Picture book. 4-7)