The grit of How to Solve a Problem meets the lyricism of Drum Dream Girl in Anita Yasuda’s evocative picture book biography about Junko Tabei, the first woman to summit Everest. Illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Yuko Shimizu. 

 

Junko Tabei dreamed of a life climbing mountains. But men refused to climb with her. Sponsors told her to stay home. And gloves were not made to fit her hands. Junko, eager and unstoppable, wouldn’t let these obstacles get in her way. 

 

Instead, she planned an expedition to summit Mount Everest with an all-women team. Battling icy peaks, deep crevasses, and even an avalanche, Junko refused to give up. She climbed step by step . . . up, up, ever up!

 

After summiting the world’s tallest peak, Junko took on a new challenge: protecting the wild spaces she loved for future generations.

 

This gorgeously illustrated celebration of a trailblazing climber who shattered gender stereotypes invites us to dare to reach our dreams—no matter how big.

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“An inspiring biography of a trailblazing woman, lyrically told and lushly illustrated. This important story reminds us that pursuing our dreams can not only empower us, but others as well.”

—Andrea Wang, bestselling author of the Newbery Honor and Caldecott Medal–winning Watercress

 

“A heartwarming and inspiring story of how climbing can ultimately connect us back down with the earth and those around us.”

—Ashima Shiraishi, bestselling author of How to Solve a Problem: The Rise (and Falls) of a Rock-Climbing Champion

 

“If the world doesn't know who Junko Tabei was, then this is the introduction.”

—Ken Mochizuki, bestselling author of Baseball Saved Us

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