Climbing Kansas Mountains

by George Shannon, Thomas B. Allen (Illustrator)

On a hot summer afternoon when there's nothing to do, Sam's father says, "Sam, time you and I went to climb a Kansas mountain". When they climb to the top of one of the grain elevators full of wheat, they see the patchwork of beautiful fields that is the Midwest's beauty. School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. Full color.

Genres: Picture Books, Geography, Childrens, Family, Read For School

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1993

About the author

George Shannon is a popular storyteller and former children's librarian whose many notable picture books include Tomorrow's Alphabet, Lizard's Guest, and White Is for Blueberry. Tippy-Toe Chick, Go!, illustrated by Laura Dronzek, was named a Charlotte Zolotow Award Honor Book. George Shannon lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bored on a hot summer day, a young boy's father takes him on an adventure to climb Kansas mountains. Sam knows that his home state is quite flat, so he's curious to find out where they're going. Indeed his father takes him to the highest place in town, where Sam can look down and see his world from a new perspective, and also spend quality time alone with his dad. The illustrations are lovely & have a blurred, hazy quality, much like a hot afternoon in Kansas.

{Olathe Public Schools Core Literature List, Grade 3}

[Mandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The kiddo was bored & so his dad invited him to climb a mountain...but they live in Kansas 😆 So instead of grumbling about what they don’t have, the two of them climb the highest grain elevator, sit on top, & enjoy the view 😍 That creative, imaginative, father-son date became their “thing” that they enjoyed for years after 💝

[Kim Valentine]

Read to first graders during Kansas' anniversary.

[Chelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been wanting to read this book FOR YEARS and I’m really glad that I did. I always wondered what the author was talking about because I knew Kansas didn’t actually have any mountains. Definitely an interesting take on all the “mountains” that Kansas has!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is beautifully written and is scary accurate to our small farming town, but as a book for younger 1-5 year olds, it would not hold entertainment due to the dark and fuzzy pictures combined with the longer but good story.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boy is bored one hot summer afternoon in Kansas. His father asks if he'd like to go see the Kansas Mountains. Although doubtful, the boy goes along with his father to see these 'mountains.'

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five themes - place

[Kelle Treadwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kansas

[Milinda Yount · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picture book I saw at the library and had to read it. Sweet story with an accurate description of a Kansas town.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you were born and raised in a flat enough state like Kansas a book with a title like this definitely intrigues and charms you. It first makes you think of such facts like Mt. Sunflower or even the Oread but those are single features instead of what is suggested in the title of this book. And so as a result I found myself reading the book to know what it was about.

The book is a charming book and shows that the child is just about as sure of his state that I am. But it also shows the imagination and the beauty of seeing the world from another viewpoint, especially one that is so important as being the parent within your life. And instead of exploring the relationship between a boy and his mother this is a book that explores the point of a father in the life of his son, a chance of sharing some very special memories with each other as they experience life from a new angle and to share some alone time with each other. All of these are very valid and beautiful points set in the true Heartland.

And the illustrations were completely gorgeous. Each shade of color, the lines the quilting effect and so much more remind me of what I love about my home in Kansas. It reminds me that even though I am not surrounded by the exotic beauty of a warm tropical beach or the vivid beauty of wildflowers there is a simple beauty right all around me that works as much on the human heart, especially if you are open to viewing the world so simple.

Love this book and would definitely recommend it to so many but most especially to fathers to read to their children or even teachers in the state who may want to give children a chance to see the world so new.

[Elsie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal reaction- this book is about a young boy named Sam. Sam and his dad go on an adventure to ‘climb a Kansas mountain”. Sam doesn’t believe this is possible. Throughout the book Sam and his dad learn about the ‘hills’ of Kansas. This story is considered a transitional book for children. This book contains multiple paragraphs on one page and a picture on the other. This can be a transitional book because of the longer sentences, paragraphs, and wide range of vocabulary. Children learning to read will read books with one or two sentences on the page. This book offers more than one paragraph on the page while still having a few pages throughout the book dedicated to only pictures. For curricular connection- as a teacher I would suggest children between the ages of 7-9 reading this book. Children enjoy stories about family because they can relate. This book can inform children about the geography of Kansas while still telling en enlightening story of Sam and his dad’s bonding time. Independent reading- I would suggest this book for independent reading for children who have strong bonds with their parents. This book would be particularly good for children to read at the start of the school year. Children often times miss home and their parents when the school year begins again. This book can help children remember their parents and then open up a possible book talk with their peers about the book and similar experiences with their own mother or father. Narrative- this book is a great new narrative for children to read once they are past the beginning stages of reading. This book can offer new perspectives, such as when children do not have a father figure in their life. This book can provide what fathers are like and the relationships some children share with their parents. This book offers many ideas that a transitional book details. The reader will notice new functions such as the longer pages with new words being introduced. Whereas they will still be able to recognize the old functions of beginning to read books such as the pages with pictures only.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this at the Athens Clarke County Library on display. I used it for a geography lesson for my geography for teachers class. After reading the story I would ask the students to draw a mountain or a makeshift mountain. I would then ask them to write about an experience where they felt they were on a mountain. I also created a wordsearch that the students can use to remember important concepts during the story. I also would want the students to explain the geography of Kansas compared to Georgia (or wherever I may be teaching).

[Joanne G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A trip to the top of the grain elevator--a Kansas mountain--allows a little boy to spend special time alone with his father and to view his world from a different perspective.

"All the way though town on one straight street,
everything in the distance always wrinkled from the heat."

Soft, dreamy illustrations.

[Kami Huff · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Picture Books* I love this book! I am from Kansas and the illustrations are true to how Kansas is, and the moral is really good. The little boy gets to spend time with his father without his siblings, and they come to have their own jokes because of it.

[Cws]

JEPIC-Sha

[Linse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes the publisher gets it right. Allen, Kansas illustrator said he had Ottowa in mind. Shannon's grandmother still lived there at the time.

[Shannon Dykes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book for the dad to read to the boys. And so fitting for my boys.

[CFAITC]

A young boy and father share the beauty of a Kansas farm and landscape.

[Kazu Fujisawa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Father tells "me" if I want to go climb a mountain in Kansas. It does not make sense because Kansas does not have any mountain. However, father takes him to drive. Father takes him to wheat elevator and show the view from the top.
This is fun book gives a little nice story, going to tall wheat elevator though there are no mountains there to see the view from the top.
This book is better for older kids for having so much words and understanding the geography, that Kansas does not have a mountain.