When the Mountain Wakes

In a blend of picture book and graphic novel, ‘When the Mountain Wakes’ follows the story of a mountain, who has been asleep for many years as the world changed around it. When the mountain wakes, it is to the sound of silence and the mountain feels lonely. Having set out in search of a song to lull it back to sleep, the mountain searches for a thousand years with no luck until it stumbles across a beautiful flower which it decides to take home with it. And life begins to sing once more.

‘When the Mountain Wakes’ is a lovely story, bursting with hope for the future and celebrating the power of nature.

The book offers so much to think about, wonder at and discuss, making it perfect for sharing and enjoying again and again. The text is simple and direct yet has a lilting, almost poetic quality which makes it a joy to read aloud. Personifying the mountain allows children to empathise with its loneliness as it travels across desolate landscapes in its desire to hear the sounds of nature once more.

The comic strip sections allow for the passing of time to be condensed, offering powerful visual storytelling, including the impact of the discovery of the flower and the subsequent rewilding which leads to the mountain becoming drowsy once more. Unlike many stories which carry a message about the environmental impact of humans on the planet, this one offers an overwhelmingly hopeful ‘wake up call’ in which taking action is seen to have such positive results.

There are so many ways in which this wonderful story could spark creative work that it is a must have for all teachers!

When the Mountain Wakes

Matt Shanks

Simon and Schuster ISBN: 978-1398557123