Up, Up, Ever Up! Junko Tabei: A Life in the Mountains (2025 Caldecott Honor Book)

「如果世界不知道田部井淳子，那就從這本書開始。」——《棒球救了我們》作者Ken Mochizuki如是說。田部井淳子，是第一位登上聖母峰的女性。從小她夢想攀登高山，卻因為性別不被接納，甚至連適合女性的登山裝備都買不到。但她沒有放棄，集結一群同樣熱愛山林的女性，挑戰珠穆朗瑪峰，最終一步步、勇敢登頂。本書用詩意語言與細膩插畫，講述田部井淳子不僅攀登高峰，更為未來守護自然的真實故事，邀請孩子們相信，夢想可以超越任何限制。

The 2024 New York Times / New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Books

Anita Yasuda’s evocative picture book biography about Junko Tabei, the first woman to summit Everest, is equal parts grit and grace. Dazzlingly illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Yuko Shimizu.

“An inspiring biography of a trailblazing woman, lyrically told and lushly illustrated. This important story reminds us that pursuing our dreams can not only empower us, but others as well.” —Andrea Wang, bestselling author of the Newbery Honor and Caldecott Medal-winning Watercress

“A heartwarming and inspiring story of how climbing can ultimately connect us back down with the earth & those around us.” —Ashima Shiraishi, bestselling author of How to Solve a Problem: The Rise (and Falls) of a Rock-Climbing Champion

“If the world doesn't know who Junko Tabei was, then this is the introduction.” —Ken Mochizuki, bestselling author of Baseball Saved Us

Junko Tabei dreamed of a life climbing mountains. But men refused to climb with her. Sponsors told her to stay home. And gloves were not made to fit her hands. Eager and unstoppable, Junko wouldn’t let these obstacles get in her way.

Instead, she planned an expedition to summit Mount Everest with an all-women team. Battling icy peaks, deep crevasses, and even an avalanche, Junko refused to give up. She climbed step by step . . . up, up, ever up!

After summiting the world’s tallest peak, Junko took on a new challenge: protecting the wild spaces she loved for future generations.

This gorgeously illustrated celebration of a trailblazing climber who shattered gender stereotypes invites us to dare to reach our dreams—no matter how big.

Anita Yasuda is a children's author. She is passionate about sharing stories of people making a difference. She spent many years as an early childhood educator and a bilingual storyteller (English and Japanese). Anita graduated from the University of Toronto. She is based in Ontario, Canada.
 

Yuko Shimizu is a multi-award-winning Japanese illustrator based in New York City. She is an instructor at the School of Visual Arts and has almost twenty years of experience illustrating. She is the illustrator of the Caldecott Honor–winning picture book The Cat Man of Aleppo.