Junko's Climb
(People Who Shaped Our World #9)

Inspirational and uplifting.

K-Gr 4--\"She knows her dreams and determination are great, but will they be a match for this mighty mountain?\" captures a question many readers recognize, whether they dream of climbing a mountain or reading aloud in class. This biography of Junko Tabei (1939-2016) frames perseverance as disciplined practice rather than singular conquest. From an early age, she is told she is too small and too quiet for serious climbing--assessments shaped as much by gendered expectation as by physical stature. Rather than internalize those limits, she names herself a climber and commits to the rigorous preparation that identity demands. Her ascent of Mount Everest is a triumph while also being a sustained effort to claim space within a mountaineering culture long dominated by men. Training, collaboration, and steady resolve propel the narrative, underscoring that endurance is built incrementally. Watercolor illustrations reinforce that progression through scale and contrast. Expansive alpine vistas rendered in cool blues and whites communicate immensity, while the warmth of the climber's orange gear provides visual anchor. Light and shadow suggest altitude and exposure, positioning her as simultaneously vulnerable and steadfast. The sweeping compositions evoke quiet grandeur rather than spectacle. VERDICT A thoughtfully rendered and visually striking portrait that honors disciplined perseverance and affirms strength steadily claimed in spaces resistant to inclusion.

Copyright 2026 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Gavin applauds the heights reached by Junko Tabei (1939-2016), the first woman to climb Mt. Everest, in an invigorating story that opens with a formative childhood experience: Tabei's first climb, undertaken when she was 10. Considered \"fragile and weak\" after multiple bouts of pneumonia, Tabei \"never forgot what she learned on that first climb. She was strong enough, and the world was hers to explore and discover.\" Fast-forwarding to adulthood, the telling emphasizes themes of strength and teamwork while centering on the nail-biting account of Tabei's history-making climb, which is punctured by an avalanche. Throughout, descriptions lean into language that's at once literal and metaphorical--variations of \"One step at a time\" repeat at key junctures. Text wraps around HifuMiyo's inky retro artwork as it captures the drama of Tabei's efforts with carefully sponged layers of color and a zoomed-out perspective that contrasts the protagonist's human form with her chosen environment's cold immensity. An author's note and timeline conclude. Ages 5-up.

Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

A compelling testament to inner strength and deep friendship.