A beautiful story with just as beautiful illustrations. Mario Bellini's The Boy and the Mountain, tell a story of a boy who is truly fond of this mountain he can see. The story makes you think of the big things you see, but also the beauty in the small things you come across, with a great view of perspective. A lovely treat for young children, especially to get them to create their own drawings and paintings of what surrounds them.

Er... eh? A boy is permanently trying to get a drawing of his favourite mountain (no, best not to ask) that conveys the real thing, but when it fails he climbs the real deal, meets some animals, has larks with them, comes home, the end. I hate to spoil plots, but that's the one here, and I would have thought it was all in aid of showing how cool friends are, especially when you're a bit of a sad lad with your crayons and not much else about you. But no, it's a lesson in aid of hiking and sort of nature mindfulness. And yes, there are times when a book can win by being open to multiple interpretations, and more subtle in its intention than others, but this wasn't one of them. Uneventful.

Absolutely adorable book! The illustrations are the star of the show and the message of looking closer at something to see the details is there but not hitting me over the head. I hope it comes in hardback and board book form. .

An interesting picture book with simple and clean design.

I liked the story but felt that something is missing from the narration. It didn't bother my daughter (3.5yo) though, who focused on the boy's mission and the animals. We both loved the illustrations, especially the depiction of nature.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an Advance Review Copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Boy and the Mountain.

This is a beautifully illustrated book about a young boy who sees a mountain outside his bedroom window every day and decides to draw it.

He's dissatisfied with his drawings and decides to make the journey to the mountain to see it up close and personal. Along the way, he meets friendly animals, sees the birds in the sky, gets in touch with nature and when he reaches the peak, he realizes what was missing from his drawing.

This is a sweet story about getting in touch with nature and how you are a part of the world you live in.

This was adorable! It is a very short children’s book about a boy who wants to draw a mountain - so he goes on a hike to explore and get a better idea of what to draw. I love the illustrations (very simple but whimsical) and the simplicity of the message to take a pause and appreciate the small details of life. I do honestly wish there were a few more pages to add some more details because the story is very bare-bones, but that’s okay because it’ll work for a younger audience. I am adding this to my want to buy list for my future elementary school counseling library :)

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

PUB DATE - 6/21/2022

Very cute and fun to read! I read it with my little boy and he likes it as much as I did so I'm sure it's a good sign!

The Boy and the Mountain is a charmingly illustrated book about a little boy who enjoys drawing in his journal and wants to draw the mountain he sees from his window. He decides he needs to get closer to the mountain to create a more accurate drawing, and the closer he gets, the more things he finds to draw. Reaching the top of the mountain, he realizes the mountain is not just the big rock he sees from his window, but all the things living on it.