HORSE SONG: THE NAADAM OF MONGOLIA- TED AND BETSY LEWIN

Some books are so, so, so  beautiful that you could just look at them forever. That's how I feel about HORSE SONG: THE NAADAM OF MONGOLIA.  The illustrations are breathtaking.

In 2004,  Ted and Betsy Lewin journeyed to Mongolia to see the horse races of Naadam, a summer holiday. They landed at Ulaanbataar, then rode 800 miles in a minivan to a remote camp on the steppes in Southern Mongolia. The Lewins spent about a week living in a ger (a collapsible tent with a wooden frame and felt covering), eating curds and drinking airag (a fermented drink made from mare's milk). Most importantly, they chronicled the preparations and running of the horse races of the Nadaam, as seen through the eyes of Tamir, a nine-year-old jockey (who is actually a composite of several boys the Lewins met during their trip).

I love when a book takes me to a place I have never been and teaches me about a culture I might never have known. That is definitely true of HORSE SONG. And in this case, it's done, so, so, so beautifully…