ALA Booklist

The author-artist who gave us Biggest, Strongest, Fastest (1995) and What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You (1997) turns his attention to a slightly older audience in a picture book that takes readers on an armchair tour up the tallest peak on Earth. In preparation for the trek, Jenkins presents some background on Everest (including a brief comment on the ecological nightmare tourism has caused) and on some of the people who have scaled it. There's also a double-page spread devoted to climbing equipment. Then it's up to the top, complete with descriptions of some of the things climbers may see en route and some insight into how the cold and altitude will affect their bodies. Jenkins' papercut illustrations are extraordinary--feathery light to catch the effect of fog radiating off the mountains, mottled and striated to replicate rocky plateaus, pebbled to look like ice flowers. The typeface is sometimes uncomfortably small, and words occasionally disappear into the strongly colored backgrounds, but this is still a very attractive book, with plenty of substance for curious children. (Reviewed April 1, 1999)

Horn Book

In this strikingly executed picture book, realistic paper collages show the grandeur of the world's tallest mountain with an immediacy that few photographs can. The book follows a logical sequence, beginning with the statistics and continuing with a virtual climbing experience for the reader. Insets and sidebars provide additional information, and exceptional design handles these bits of text remarkably well. Bib.

Kirkus Reviews

A breathtaking picture-book account of a climb to the top of Mount Everest. Jenkins (Hottest, Coldest, Highest, Deepest, 1998, etc.) documents each step of the way with vivid crushed-paper and cut-paper collages that will rivet viewers. He begins with a world map that shows the Himalayas, recounts efforts to measure the peaks, describes early expeditions, and includes the successful climbs of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953, and Rheinhold Messner in 1980. Next, Jenkins illustrates the necessary gear for modern mountain-climbing, and describes the journey itself, beginning in Kathmandu, Nepal, the 100-mile trek to the base of Mount Everest, then step-by-step, up the mountain to the summit. At each step, the striking collages extend the information of the text and capture the majesty of the mountain. Visually arresting and inspiring. (Picture book. 8-12)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Addressing readers as would-be Everest explorers, Jenkins's book is a compendium of historical info and practical tips, illustrated with stunning cut-paper collage, wrote PW. Ages 6-10. (Apr.)