Caravan
Grade 1-4?Jura, 10, tells of going on his first caravan through the mountain passes of the Afghan Pamirs to trade his family's furs and felts for grains in the city. His pride in being old enough to be a part of this important event reflects his admiration for his father, who leads the convoy. The boy takes readers along on his journey as he encounters the awesome, stark beauty of the mountains and the difficulties of passing along the steep, snowy trails while riding a mare and leading three laden camels. The poetic writing skillfully describes a world far different from one containing automobiles, VCRs, and computers. The illustrations, glowing in earthy hues of browns, golds, and blues, show the details of this way of life. Ligasan portrays small things, such as the knots on the yurt in which the men sleep, as well as the larger aspects of the landscape and the high dome of the mosque in the city. The layout, with the richly textured illustrations set in a stylized frame, is handsome. Words and pictures elucidate not only the customs of another culture, but also a boy's rite-of-passage and adventure with his father. An author's note gives details of the Kirghiz people and their environment. Refreshing and unobtrusively instructive.?Susan Middleton, LaJolla Country Day School, CACopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.