A really lovely, relatable story about coming home - complimented by lovely Japanese brushwork. A very pleasant read.

This is a charming picture book about finding what you value in life. The pictures are beautifully done. This would be great for kids who are still interested in picture books but can challenge themselves a bit or as a read-aloud.

This was such a fast, but amazing and cute little read. The message was powerful and clear: Life will always circle back to one place and that is home, that nothing in your life will make you feel more safe than your home - In Ichiros case the mountain he was born and raised on. Loved it and the illustrations were fitting so well and looked beyond beautiful.

The story, based on Buddhist tradition, follows Ichiro, a young boy and his experiences as he travels to various places in search of excitement and adventure.
It begins with the great mountain, his birthplace, of which he tires and decides to leave.
What follows is a series of places he visits, gets tired of and leaves.
His journey ends where it began, at the great mountain, his home where his thirst for adventure is queched finally.
The book is written in the form of a folktale and is quite interesting for youngsters.
However I found it quite lackluster and boring without a clear message.

Overall rating:1.5/5

Ichiro and the Great Mountain

Ichiro is a young boy who lives with his family upon the great mountain, loving life and adoring the beauties which surround him. But as many do, he grows restless and begins to want more from life. After talking with his family, he begins a timeline of grand adventures…but they’re all born out of that same restlessness.

In a simplistic style, Ichiro and the Great Mountain takes on one of the biggest questions in life, “where does our happiness lie?”. Ichiro’s quest for adventure, beauty, prestige, and worldliness may grant him much in the way of experiences, but does it quench his longing?

A beautiful book in both writing and tale, Ichiro will hopefully return later, and let us know how receptive his family is to his adventures, and if he passes his restlessness on to a new generation.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book.
The black and white watercolor drawings are a nice touch. I read the digital ARC and it was neat to be able to move the paragraphs and pictures on each split page. I like how the words and pictures are split since usually they’re together.
As a kid, Ichiro, enjoys the nature around him but as he grows older; he wants to go onto more adventures and see where life takes him.
He goes onto new things but after a bit; he isn’t satisfied and wants to go on to the next thing. In the end, he comes full circle.