The Disability Book Archive

[ID: A book cover. Vertical red text down the left side reads: the title “Kami and the Yaks”, the author’s name “Andrea Stenn Stryer” and “Illustrated by Bert Dodson”. This is all written in a brown rectangle that stretches the length of the left side of the cover. On the right side, a large watercolour painting of a young boy in a red robe leading a group of yaks down a mountainside. /end]

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Content Warning:

• Stormy Weather
• Ableism

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Summary:

Just before the start of a new trek, a Sherpa family discovers that their yaks are missing. Young Kami, anxious to help his brother and father maintain their livelihood, sets off by himself to find the wandering herd. A spunky deaf child who is unable to speak, Kami attempts to summon the yaks with his shrill whistle. Failing to rout them, he hustles up the steep mountainside to search the yaks’ favorite grazing spots. On the way he encounters the rumblings of a fierce storm which quickly becomes more threatening. Surmounting his fear of being alone in the midst of treacherous lightning and hail, Kami uses his heightened sense of observation to finally locate the yaks. Reunited with their animals, the astonished family is once again able to transport their gear and guide the mountain climbers into the majestic terrain.

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Notes:

This book won the 2008 Schneider Book Award for Young Children’s Book.

There is a kindle edition.

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Archivist Comments:

I found this book when I was looking for children’s picture books about disability, and I think it has one of my favourite covers on the whole site. It just looks so well done. And it seems some of the reviews agree with me as well as the art in this book has been greatly praised.

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