Kami's father and his brother, Norgay, are searching for their yaks one day before a storm. Kami tries to help by blowing his whistle. Usually, the yaks response to the whistle and appear before Kami, but this time they don't. Kami blows his whistle again and again before he decides to go look for them himself. after searching for some time Kami finds the yaks near two large boulders. He blows his whistle again and the yaks refuse to move. Upon further investigation, he realizes that the youngest yak leg is stuck in a crevice between two heavy rocks. He hurries back to his father and brother to try and communicate the problem to them. He is unable to communicate the information about the yaks because Kami is unable to speak. Kami is deaf. He blows his whistle at his father who still does not understand what Kami needs. Finally, Kami pretends to be a yak that has his leg stuck. His family finally understands and race to save the yaks.

This book is not only about how a little boy who is deaf is able to help his family but it also introduces a different culture to most readers. The last page of the book gives the reader information about Sherpas and their culture. The author lets the reader know very early that Kami is deaf but shows how this disability did stop him. He was about to find the yaks when his father and brother couldn't and was also about to find a way to communicate with them. ( )

I enjoyed this book because it was very different from my other reads this term. Stryers' descriptive language shows the reader that although Kami is deaf, his other senses are particularly heightened. This book is important when it comes to educating children and increasing understanding of our history and diversity because it teaches us that we cannot assume just because someone is different, they know less than we do or are less capable. We also learn a bit about the life of Sherpas as well, a group that I personally knew very little about! ( )

Wonderful story of how a hearing-impaired boy saves the day by finding the yaks his family is looking for.
An engaging tale of redemption.

Use to teach that being persistent can yield great results. ( )

Stryer, A.S. (2007). Kami and the Yaks. Palo Alto, California: Bay Otter Press.

In Kami and the Yaks, a deaf Sherpa boy living in the Himalayan Mountains uses his strengths to become a hero. During a violent storm, Kami goes out in search of his family’s yak herd. He finds the herd of yaks gathered around a young calf whose leg is wedged in between two large rocks. Unable to free the calf by himself, Kami whistles for help. After no one comes, Kami runs back to his home and, using large hand gestures and body movements, mimes the situation to his family. Kami and his family run back to the yak herd and free the young calf. Kami is a hero for his quick thinking. If he would have not been able to communicate through body language, the young yak may never have been freed. Although Kami was unable to hear and speak, he was able to communicate to his family members and save the day. This story encourages readers to look for strengths in all people, especially people with disabilities. Even though Kami had a disability that interfered with his ability to communicate, he was still able to share important information with his family. He may not have strength in hearing or speaking, but he has the strength of body language and gestures. This picture book is the 2008 winner of the Schneider Family Book Award.

This book could be used in a school library as part of a unit celebrating individuals with disabilities. This book would be an excellent book for the celebration of deaf people and what they are able to accomplish despite their disabilities. After reading the story to the students, you could break the students up into small groups. They could then work together to act out the end of the story to the class. Each group would be able to depict what type of body movements they would use to convey the message of the hurt yak. You could also create different scenarios for the students to act out. Each group could act out a specific scenario, and the class would be able to take guesses as to what each group is trying to convey. This will help the students to see how difficult it is to not be able to hear or speak. ( )