Tire Mountain

Andrea Cheng

ILLUSTRATED BY
Ken Condon

Ages: 2-6
Pages: 32
List Price: $15.95
Cover: Hardcover
Published: 8/1/2007
ISBN: 1-932425-60-8
ISBN-13: 978-1-932425-60-4

Aaron loves the corner where he lives. Right behind their house is his dad's shop, Cincy Tire and Wheel. His dad can change a tire faster than Aaron can say his name. And Aaron is always ready to help move the old tires to his Tire Mountain. But Aaron's mom is tired of living in the city. She wants to move someplace where Aaron will have room to run and play. Aaron comes up with a great way to convince his mom that there is plenty of space to play on their very own corner.

Awards

  • Featured in MOSAIC 2007, an annual multicultural literature exhibit hosted by Lincoln (NE) Public Schools Library Media Services. The exhibit featured the best and most current multicultural titles from 2006-2007.

Reviews

"The depth of emotion will attract early readers. The detailed illustrations are realistically depictive of the city."
     —Kirkus Reviews

"Cheng gracefully articulates the quiet understanding arrived at by mother and son. “Mama folds the pamphlet and uses it like a fan,” she writes. “ 'When we do move, some day,” asks Aaron gingerly, “ 'do you think we could take a tire... to make a tire swing?’ ” “ 'That could be arranged,’ ” responds Mama with a hug. At first glance, Condon’s blocky paintings feel wooden in comparison with the emotionally astute prose; even Aaron doesn’t seem quite at home in his environment. But as the story unfolds, the warm colors and mural-like qualities feel absolutely right. It’s a kid’s-eye view of the world, where physical presences offer rock-solid comfort."
     —Publishers Weekly

"This is a beautiful story of a young boy’s determination to remain in the home he loves. The cultural diversity represented in the story through the illustrations symbolizes the ethnicity of city living. The illustrations are beautiful two-page spreads that enhance and clarify the text. This book would be a lovely read-aloud for children and would be a great tie-in for first grade curriculum on communities."
     —Library Media Connection