THE MOUNTAIN THAT WOULDN'T MOVE

Living next to a mountain can be downright dreary.

Residing amid the dark shade cast by a massive mountain, Bear yearns for brighter colors in her life. After reaching her limit, she recruits her fellow forest denizens and organizes a plan to move the mountain at any cost. They push and push but make no progress. Bear becomes consumed by her mission (“I will see a sunset if it’s the last thing I do!”), leading to increasingly desperate attempts to achieve her goal, all humorously depicted in a spread that bursts with energy that contrasts with the chilly aloofness of the anthropomorphized mountain. Eventually, the other animals take Bear up the mountain to finally experience the thing she’s been longing for most. Young readers will relate to exuberant Bear and her failed attempts at dealing with big emotions. Dumais’ descriptive text conveys both the frustration of Bear’s repeated defeats and the beauty of the natural world around her. Her painterly illustrations humorously depict Bear and her friends with vim and vigor, homing in on their enthusiastic facial expressions and body language.

A delightful look at problem-solving and emotional regulation.