Only the Mountains Do Not Move: A Maasai Story of Culture and Conservation

This is a beautiful book.

Great intro to Africa if taking young people there.

A great book for elementary age children, looking at the way people in other parts of our world live and very good pictures depicting their way of life.

I probably expected too much, and it's my fault that I didn't read the fine print before ordering it, but I expected something more.

Informative and full of pictures

I've always been fascinated by the Maasai, so I was pleased to see this book about their culture written for children, and this book didn't disappoint. Straightforward text is combined with Maasai proverbs and beautiful photography to give us a detailed glimpse at modern-day Maasai life. This is a balanced representation: Reynolds isn't afraid to show the less pleasant (biting bugs!) or shocking (drinking cow blood!) aspects of Maasai life, but she also reveals the peace and togetherness it brings. Especially relevant to her young readers is how she focuses on what the Maasai boys and girls do at different ages.One pleasant surprise was how Reynolds shares with readers not only the historical Maasai culture, but also how the Maasai way of life is changing due to outside pressures and how they are adapting to this new world, giving the story context in the broader world.I'd be remiss, however, if I didn't mention that there were a few minor drawbacks for me. First, it bothered me not to have pronunciation guides for the Maa words embedded in the text (but there is one at the end). Second, although the Maasai proverbs were lovely, I wanted more of them and to have them appear more regularly throughout the text. As it is, with 10-14 pages between proverbs, they sort of surprised me each time and felt more like interruptions than the embellishments they should have been. Finally, I would have liked to get a little closer to the main family throughout the whole book. Sometimes the text seems to move way out to the Maasai in general for a long time, then it zooms in briefly to the main characters, then goes right back out again. I would've liked more connections to have been made between the general way of life and the specific family.On the plus side, the back matter includes an author's note, a glossary and pronunciation guide, a web site for more information, and source notes and acknowledgements. There's also a very interesting interview and book talk with the author available here, which should make it ever more appealing for teachers hoping to use it in the classroom.This is a wonderful book for introducing a unique and fascinating African culture to upper elementary students.(Disclaimer: I received this copy for free directly from the publisher for review.)

Only the Mountains Do Not Move, by Jan Reynolds is a quick but interesting look into the storied culture of the Maasai tribe who dwell in Northern Tanzania and Southern Kenya. The cover claims that this is a story of culture and conservation: I think it is more of a book about culture, but green sells so... This book lists as intended for ages 6 and up and that is accurate. Being a parent of two children and having bought many childrens books, I would think twice about paying $18.95 for a book like this. I could see this book being a big hit at local libraries as it can easily give any student ages 6 and up some really good information on the Massai. The book is based on six Massai proverbs and based on my interactions with Massai and Africans these proverbs are wonderful and they truly act as life guides for many people. The photographs in this book are top notch. There were a few photos that captured a small mix of the old and new, but I feel like this aspect was overlooked. There are plenty of books out there that capture the rich culture of tribes living in traditional ways. I was hoping this book would really look into how urbanization has affected the Massai way of life. This book is a great snapshot of Massai life and culture, but it could have gone a few pages more and included some pictures of Massai in major cities and described how they are adapting. This book should purchased by your local library and school, but I would think about it twice for home ownership.

I was surprised to see this book and I didn't hesitate to pick it up. The Maasai are so private, and they insist on continuing their culture despite everything and everyone. I love that about them!When I studied Linguistics at the University of Oregon, SIL brought a Maasai over for us to learn aspects of their language. I focused on their numbering system, which is based on the livestock. I will never forget hearing the pounding in our ceiling and running up to the guy's hall to see what was going on and finding our Maasai friend showing his roomates how to do the Maasai leap.I read this book with a specific picture of the their culture in my head from our friend's stories. Many of the things in the book resonated true with me. A family took the author in and showed her a lot of their life.Some of the book is obviously "nice" keeping it kid-friendly. There is mention of cow dung used in the mud for the huts, but it is discreet compared to what I had heard, which is good. :-) She was similarly discreet regarding their food. She mentions drinking blood, but only in the Author's Note at the back. The danger of the wild African landscape is also downplayed. The women travel in groups and the men are skilled with their spears, but there are only hints at running into lions often. So, kids have a great introduction into this unique culture while adults are given more.What I enjoyed the most is the details in the day to day life. The author captured things my friend didn't share, like how big their homes are, how big the community, just how free their livestock is to forage. The pictures show them creating bracelets and playing games and how the men stay together in a group. The author captured the every-day life.She also highlighted how their environment has shrunk and their way of life is threatened and what they are doing to adapt. The stories that are their education have passed on a strong culture generation after generation. They continue to be fiercely their own.I think there is a lot more that isn't shared, but this book is still a great peak into the Maasai way of life.

Excellent book for elementary age children. It explains the culture of the Masaai in Kenya with colourful pictures.

This book is about Samburu it seems, not Maasaï.But the author has a very human way with the people.