THE MOUNTAIN

What if a mountain is more than the sum of its parts?

Six animals compete to arrive at the most accurate description of the towering mountain above them. Each animal’s answer is rooted in the familiar and beloved. For the bear, the mountain must be forested and green. The octopus feels sure it’s wet, watery, fishy, and colorful. But the chamois (a European goat-antelope) is certain of the mountain’s rocky terrain. The sheep, the ant, and the snow hare also chime in with their unique alpine visions. Even though none of the animals has actually been to the mountain, each believes their answer to be correct. Then the shouting begins. Finally, an exasperated bird urges them all to the pinnacle of the mountain to decide their claims. When they reach the summit (the octopus in a diving helmet full of water), the animals realize that the answer was “quite simple” all along. The brevity of the text, generous trim size, and equally large type make this book a great choice for storytime. Created in tandem by Gugger and Röthlisberger, this original fable translated from German explores the concept of the coexistence of many truths. Humor is conveyed through the brief, dialogue-heavy text, while washes of color draw the eye along crisp white pages, with body language and energy conveyed through penciled movement lines. Wordless double-page spreads showing each animal’s imagined mountainous setting are especially stunning.

A natural for storytime, this humorous tale elevates the beauty of many perspectives.