Ted and Betsy Lewin,
Horse Song: The Naadam of Mongolia
Lee & Low Books, 2008.

Ages 6-12

Ted and Betsy Lewin happened to come across several articles about Mongolia's Naadam, a long race in which child jockeys ride half-wild horses across the Mongolian steppe, and thought it would make a good subject for a picture book. They were right!

In this, their latest collaboration, the Caldecott Honor winners literally illustrate a traditional culture that is relatively unknown in the West. Ted's rich and highly detailed watercolors (painted from photographs taken on their trip) complement Betsy's whimsical, spot-colored sketches and evocative prose. This combination brings out the flavor of everyday life for Mongolian nomads as they prepare for the annual Naadam, a tradition that goes back nearly 1,000 years.

Children wake early to drive livestock to water and out to pasture, pausing every two hours to milk the mares in order to make airag, a fermented drink. Inside the ger, a traditional nomadic tent made of horsehair felt with a wooden frame, Grandma makes fresh curds, a staple of the family's diet, from goat's and sheep's milk. Outside, a horse trainer uses an uurag, the Mongolian version of a lasso, to capture a wild horse for the Naadam. In the evening, nine-year-old Tamir, who comes from a horse-training family, which he will represent in this year's race, helps to "sweat up" and then pamper the race-horses in preparation for the big event.

As the race approaches, jockeys and their trainers set up camp in the hillsides surrounding the town. The atmosphere is festive in these camps on the eve of the race. For the young jockeys, however, all thoughts are focused on the contest.

At dawn the jockeys and their horses gather at the finish line to walk their horses the 14 miles to the starting line. The race begins, and onlookers stare amazed at these young children's ability to control their half-wild horses through the dust of the Gobi Desert, calling out a haunting song to the animals as they ride.

Today, motorbikes and televisions sets are awarded along with more traditional prizes such as medals and rugs. Yet even though the prizes for this, the world's second oldest sporting event (after the Olympics), are changing with the passage of time, the Naadam remains very much rooted in tradition. Horse Song brings the excitement and appeal of the Naadam to young audiences everywhere.

Abigail Sawyer
July 2008