THE BOY WHO ANSWERED THE CALL OF KILIMANJARO / EL NIÑO QUE RESPONDIÓ AL LLAMADO DEL KILIMANYARO

A Tanzanian schoolboy makes a pilgrimage to a mountain.

In this bilingual illustrated children’s book, Rotbart tells the story of Riyaz, a 9-year-old boy attending school in Dar es Salaam, far from his home. During class, Riyaz can often be found staring out the window at Mount Kilimanjaro, a place he longs to visit. One day, he convinces the headmaster he has been invited to spend the weekend with his uncle—who does not exist—and, along with two classmates, sets off for the mountain. The boys quickly discover that Kilimanjaro is farther away than they thought, and their jaunt becomes a multiday trek. They catch a ride from an older man—whose goat rides in the front seat of his truck while the boys pile into the back—and they walk the rest of the way. They spend their nights outside, wondering if wild animals are lurking in the shadows. When they finally reach the mountain, Riyaz is thrilled to accomplish his goal. A tour bus brings them back to school, where Riyaz is shocked to discover that his teachers realized he was missing. He accepts a punishment he knows he deserves, bolstered by the knowledge that the magnificent mountain still calls to him. The English-language story is solidly written by the author and smoothly translated into Spanish by Flores. The corresponding text in English and Spanish appears on facing pages. Farrar’s colorful illustrations add visual interest and deftly bring Riyaz’s world to life. The tale is close to an early reader level of complexity. The plot is engaging, though simple, and although the cover indicates that the work is based on a true story, no information about the real Riyaz is provided, so the audience may be left wondering.

An enjoyable tale that follows a boy on a stirring quest.