What a darling story. I loved the bright and simple illustrations and the sweet story. It's definitely one we will want to reread.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

This is a sweet and simple story about perspective. The little boy loves the mountain view from his window but he is not able to ever get it completely finished in his opinion. He sets out to see if the different angles can help achieve the ultimate drawing of the mountain. All the way up the mountain, the little boy is able to take in the little things. He gains new perspectives all the way up the mountain. At the end of the day he realizes that he made friends that completed the mountain picture.

Thank you for the ARC from Netgalley to review and read with my son.

The Boy and the Mountain' focuses on a young boy who is trying, and struggling to draw a mountain close to his home.

The illustrations of the book are positively darling, however the story is a tad pointless.

As a trainee teacher, I struggled to find ways I could use this book in a class environment, besides maybe reading it once at story-time, and then leaving it in the library. It may help children with observations, and looking at things from different angles, and I'm sure early years practitioners could come up with some great ideas to use this book. But for me, it was an okayish read that is a tad forgettable.

Ages 5 and under will love it!!

Rated: 1.5 stars

Thank you to netgallery for allowing me to read such a lovely book!

The boy who admire the mountain, then decided to see closer what missing in his drawing about the big rock. He found animals, leaves, rivers, but something's not right in his drawings. Until he found out the best of all, and satisfied. Great book to have on your shelves, to share with friends, or to read aloud with family.

Very cute book about a young boy drawing what he sees around him... but he keeps feeling like he's missing something! These illustrations were very beautiful, and I loved the simplicity, it worked very well.

I thought that this was a book with some really nice illustrations.

The illustrations were nice, bright an clear and that it what I look for in a book as a mum.

The book was easy to read and follow and it had a nice flow to it.

I read the book with my daughter and she was a fan.

It is 4 stars from me for this one – highly recommended!

It’s fun to explore, but is life more beautiful with friends by your side? Climb up the mountain and enjoy the journey up a mountain! Using a boy’s sketchbook to capture impressions of the world as a clever metaphor, Marianna Coppo’s darling illustrated characters try to get the landscape just right, but something’s missing. Could it be the friends he found along the way? A tiny part of me wishes the character used non-binary pronouns, but it’s still a cute little story about finding your people and how they can make experiences in life more fun.

A cute little story about a little boy who wants to draw the mountain he can see from his window. He attempts his sketch multiple times and from various angles. But he is never satisfied with the result. He even tries climbing the mountain but that too doesn’t help much. Until he finally realises what it was that he had been missing out on.

The story is quite simplistic in its essence and yet teaches a lot about perspectives. It also helps kids realise that sometimes, we might miss out on the obvious that’s right next to us in the quest to search something farther in the distance. The book might also create an interest in exploring what’s outside the window rather than sticking to screens all day long. However, all these morals come out only on contemplation and the story doesn’t advocate any lesson directly. So it will work better if read with an adult.

As the cover image suggests, the illustrations are adorable and suit the story aptly. The language is easy enough for beginner readers to read on their own.

Overall, a very sweet book with a beautiful ending that kids are sure to love.

3.75 stars from me.

My thanks to Penguin Random House Canada, Tundra Books, and NetGalley for the ARC of “The Boy and the Mountain”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This is the story of a boy who loves a mountain and wants to draw it. He tries but isn't happy with his drawing. He decides that he needs a closer look, so he sets off to climb the mountain. He draws the things he encounters along the way. When he gets to the peak of the mountain, he is surprised at how easy and quick the journey was and how much he enjoyed it. He goes home contented and is happy with his drawing. I truly enjoyed this adorable book, which shows us that getting out there and enjoying the world makes for a journey that enriches your life. Sitting at home and looking at things from your window isn't really experiencing life and the things in the world. I loved the illustrations and the animals were adorable. I'd happily add this to my classroom library!

This was a cute book about perspective. The little boy wants to draw the mountain but it doesn't look right so he decides to go up the mountain, as he does his pictures change.

The illustrations were fun, the story was quick and cute. What more could you want from a picture book.

This is such a cute book! A little boy wants to draw a picture of a mountain… but it turns out that what he’s really looking for is an experience with some new friends! The illustrations are beautiful and the story is so sweet!

The Boy and the Mountain is written by Mario Bellini and Marianna Coppo, two avid hikers residing in Italy. As a hiker myself, this book immediately caught my attention. The story follows a boy who tries to draw his beloved window-view mountain, but finds that something is always missing. He goes on an adventure to try to capture it's beauty, meeting multiple friends along the way.

This book will make you smile the entire time reading it to and with your children. The artwork is adorable, making me want my kid's room's walls covered with it. The authors did a wonderful job of crafting a sweet story that is appropriate for it's age group of 3 - 7 years old. It will definitely spark an interest in exploring and drawing nature, making it a book that I would like to use as a reading field trip for my toddler once it is available to purchase.

A book about a boy who wants to draw the mountain but feels like something’s missing, so he goes on an adventure to capture the mountain better. This was a cute little story, but it felt like the ending wrapped up too fast, or like it was missing a page or two. Other than that, a great little story!

Simply and effectively illustrated, this simple story highlights looking at big picture while finding beauty in the small things that make up the larger view. Wonderful primary picture book.

A little boy stands at his window and falls in love with the mountain that is in his purview. He tries to capture its magnificence in his drawings but it just never turns out right. He decides that he needs a closer look and off he goes on an adventure to climb the mountain and then finally he will be able to draw it perfectly.

Along the way he discovers beautiful snippets of nature which he easily and beautifully captures on paper. He also encounters many animal friends along the way which makes him very happy to have as company in the climb. When the group, yes the animals all join in on his mission, reach the summit the little boy is disappointed at what he finds. It's plain and ordinary and not exciting at all!

Time flies by that afternoon and the little guy heads homeward. He bids adieu to his new friends as he enters his house. That night the little boy draws the mountain one more time and eureka!!!! He suddenly discovers the magic ingredient that has been missing with his mountain fantasy and that makes him completely satisfied.

The illustrations are simple and very kid-friendly. The boy learns that his fascination with the mountain is not the most important thing but it's is the journey that got him there. The best part by far is all the new friends that joined him along the way! This is a sweet heartwarming book that I recommend.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A boy is trying to draw the mountain, and he's never satisfied with his picture until he realizes what's missing from them- his friends.

An absolutely delightful picture book that explores nature, animals, and finding one’s place in the world.

Such a creative story! If every child is given the chance to observe nature and learn to express what they see and feel through art like how the little boy in this storybook does, it would be really helpful in their development. I love the artstyle. It's basic but so well done.

A precious book for preschools and playschools.

Thank you, author/artist and the publisher, for the advance reading copy.

The story is simple but with big meaning in it.
The illustrations are clean and cute.
It can be a good picture book to teach little guys to be open minded.

A sweet adventure where the kid learns along the way that it isn't the destination that matters, it's the journey. And in this case, the friends who travel with you.