Up, Up, Ever Up! Junko Tabei: A Life in the Mountains

Gr 2-5–“Junko’s hill was her entire world” opens this biography of an amazing mountaineer. At age 10, after climbing Mount Chausu, Junko Tabei found her passion. As an adult in Tokyo, she joined a mountaineering club that accepted women and spent her weekends climbing. She married a fellow mountaineer, started her family, and continued climbing. Tabei also “knitted other women climbers together, just as a ridge joins mountain tops. Like her, they wanted opportunities above the clouds.” Tabei dreamed of climbing Mount Everest, and with careful planning, she and group of women set off to climb the tallest peak. Near the end of their climb, “a dragon’s roar shook the night. AVALANCHE!” They survived, but most of their supplies were gone, with only enough oxygen for Tabei and Ang Tsering Sherpa, her guide, to finish the ascent. They succeeded and Tabei became the first woman to ascend Everest. Tabei continued to climb, but also returned to Nepal to help clean up trash left by climbers, plant orchards, and advocate for protecting the environment. ­Shimizu’s stunning, traditional Japanese art style in muted colors draws readers in with surprising details and touches of whimsy—a young Tabei is shown with mountains and peaks in her hair. The ­language is poetic and descriptive. ­Author’s note, time line, glossary, sources, and ­bibliography are included.