Mongolia (Vanishing Culture Series)

So, what would it be like to be a child living in Mongolia? Since most of us won't be visiting there any time soon, how wonderful that the roaming Jan Reynolds has taken her magical camera and gone on our behalf. Mongolians learn they are "part of nature connected by the spirit of life to the pastures, the sky and the horses." They live in tents called gers and they get their food from the herds of sheep and goats that graze nearby. Survival depends on having horses who can herd the livestock ensuring that they have yogurt and milk and meat. As the grasses thin out through grazing, the Mongolians pack their houses and belongings onto camels or small carts and move to a new area. They are constantly on the move. Reynolds' photographs connect us to the wide open spaces of this region and to the ability of these people to adapt to natural world around them. Roads are beginning to intrude into their space but traditions are still held dear. We follow two boys, Dawa and Olana, as they help with the horses, the milking, and the collecting of dung. It's an exotic world that does not rely on cars and computers but on centuries old traditions and the cooperation of families. Beautiful and informative. 32 pages