On the Small Hill Where the Girls Take Off Their Shoes

Jairo Buitrago author Elisa Amado translator Linda Wolfsgruber illustrator

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Greystone Books,Canada

Published:29th Aug '24

Should be back in stock very soon

On the Small Hill Where the Girls Take Off Their Shoes cover


“A simply profound exploration of time and timelessness."—Booklist, STARRED review

A marvelous picture book about the history of the world, told through the story of one small hill, from world renowned master storyteller Jairo Buitrago and Hans Christian Andersen Award shortlisted illustrator Linda Wolfsgruber.

Somewhere in this world there is a small hill, where three girls are taking off their shoes. But many thousands of years ago, a dinosaur saw a brilliant star falling as he stood on that same hill. The ice age comes and goes, castles are built and fall into ruin. The world grows and changes around the hill: trees are planted, a family seeks refuge, and houses are built below it. Now it’s time for the girls to put their shoes back on and go home.

This beautiful book provides us with a way to imagine the incredible things that happened in our world before we were around.


“Lyrical […] can spark a conversation about how our world has changed over the millennia."
Youth Services Book Review

"A brief history of the world is delivered memorably in this thoughtful conceptual picture book. ... With fairy tale–like conversational ease and elegance, acclaimed storyteller Buitrago succinctly relays how each iteration in time builds on what was there before ... Themes of regeneration, connection, and hope shine through the text and illustrations. A simply profound exploration of time and timelessness."
Booklist STARRED Review

“Tender text lovingly recalls the past while focusing on present-day experiences…. Readers will come away curious to learn more about histories of their own communities…. The history of the world presented lovingly through an intimate lens."
Kirkus Reviews

ISBN: 9781778400506

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

44 pages