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Mountain Born #1
Mountain Born by Elizabeth Yates (1994) Paperback
There were boulders at the top and he picked his way carefully among them. Suddenly he stopped still, gripping a rock and flattening himself against it. Not ten paces from him was a gray wolf, and around her four well-grown cubs were playing--prettily, if anything that spelt such horror could be pretty. His hands felt like ice on the rock.
Wolves, weather, a black lamb, a trusty dog--all are part of Peter's life on a mountain farm. His best friend is Benj, a wise old shepherd, and Benj teaches him to care for the sprightly lamb that becomes his own special pet, his cosset. As Biddy grows into her place as leader of the flock, Peter grows too, learning the skills and joys of the shepherd's life.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1943
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About the author
Elizabeth Yates
91 books77 followersElizabeth Yates, author of over forty books for children, was born in New York State on December 6th, 1905. Determined to be an author, she moved to New York City to launch her career. She worked a variety of jobs including reviewing book, writing short stories, and doing research. She moved to England with her husband and wrote her first book, High Holiday, based on her travels in Switzerland with her three children. The family returned to the U.S. in 1939 and settled in New Hampshire. Yates won the Newbery Award in 1951 for her book, Amos Fortune, Free Man, a biography of an African prince who is enslaved and taken to America.
Yates conducted writer's workshops at the University of New Hampshire, the University of Connecticut, and Indiana University. She also served as the Director of the New Hampshire Association for the Blind.
Yates was widowed in 1963. Elizabeth Yates died Sunday at a hospice in Concord, New Hampshire on July 29, 2001 at the age of 95.
Elizabeth Yates' books have been described as "the result of extensive research, a strong underlying belief in God, and a vivid imagination."
Yates conducted writer's workshops at the University of New Hampshire, the University of Connecticut, and Indiana University. She also served as the Director of the New Hampshire Association for the Blind.
Yates was widowed in 1963. Elizabeth Yates died Sunday at a hospice in Concord, New Hampshire on July 29, 2001 at the age of 95.
Elizabeth Yates' books have been described as "the result of extensive research, a strong underlying belief in God, and a vivid imagination."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
March 31, 2018
Now while I have indeed quite enjoyed much (if not the majority) of Elizabeth Yates' 1943 Newbery Honour winning Mountain Born, I do have to admit that whenever I read this novel, I always have to wonder and ask myself why Biddy the sheep (the black ewe rescued by Peter and Peter's mother as a sickly, almost dead newborn lamb and nursed back to health) is generally described by the author, by Elizabeth Yates, as having to and for me traits and qualities of behaviour that are rather, or at least that seem for and to me more than a bit un-sheeplike.
For even though Mountain Born has been an interesting and enlightening read (and I do appreciate exposing children both then and now to the often hard lives of shepherds and that raising animals for market in bygone days was rough and sometimes even potentially devastating work) and while I do sweetly enjoy how Peter and Biddy forge such a loving, tender bond, that Biddy is therefore in all ways more than simply a pet lamb for Peter, the antics and the general behaviours of Peter's ewe are at least in my humble opinion not all that obviously ovine, but rather much more canine in nature (not that Biddy is a hunter or a carnivore, of course, but simply that she acts and behaves much more like a typical farm dog, a typical guardian sheepdog than a sheep). And thus, combined with the fact that I for one also have some personal issues with the general attitude presented by especially Benji, Peter's mentor shepherd, that while wild animals also deserve respect and a place to live that wolves ALL seemingly need to be destroyed en masse and without mercy (even though I do understand that attitude from a historical perspective), I just have not been able to like Mountain Born as much as I had expected to, and especially Biddy's unsheeplike ways and means, yes, they do indeed make me cringe enough and shake my head enough to only consider a high two star rating for Mountain Born (readable, somewhat enjoyable, historically significant and enlightening, but still for and to me, not quite three stars).
For even though Mountain Born has been an interesting and enlightening read (and I do appreciate exposing children both then and now to the often hard lives of shepherds and that raising animals for market in bygone days was rough and sometimes even potentially devastating work) and while I do sweetly enjoy how Peter and Biddy forge such a loving, tender bond, that Biddy is therefore in all ways more than simply a pet lamb for Peter, the antics and the general behaviours of Peter's ewe are at least in my humble opinion not all that obviously ovine, but rather much more canine in nature (not that Biddy is a hunter or a carnivore, of course, but simply that she acts and behaves much more like a typical farm dog, a typical guardian sheepdog than a sheep). And thus, combined with the fact that I for one also have some personal issues with the general attitude presented by especially Benji, Peter's mentor shepherd, that while wild animals also deserve respect and a place to live that wolves ALL seemingly need to be destroyed en masse and without mercy (even though I do understand that attitude from a historical perspective), I just have not been able to like Mountain Born as much as I had expected to, and especially Biddy's unsheeplike ways and means, yes, they do indeed make me cringe enough and shake my head enough to only consider a high two star rating for Mountain Born (readable, somewhat enjoyable, historically significant and enlightening, but still for and to me, not quite three stars).
July 20, 2017
I enjoyed this, especially all the authentic information about what a farming/shepherd's life is really about. Like Ingalls' Farmer Boy, about Almanzo's childhood, there's lots of love, hard work, and food, but the emphasis there was horses, not sheep. Both families are significantly more well-off than Laura's, but that's because they didn't keep going west to pioneer like Pa!
I liked that there were basically two sections: the first, as Peter gets just old & big enough to be a real helper, and the second, as he's actually considered ready for a young man's work & responsibilities. The in-between years are skipped - which makes for a more concise and engaging book, in my opinion. Very cycle of life, too. We see life throughout a year, and we see the cosset grow up and .
I liked that there were basically two sections: the first, as Peter gets just old & big enough to be a real helper, and the second, as he's actually considered ready for a young man's work & responsibilities. The in-between years are skipped - which makes for a more concise and engaging book, in my opinion. Very cycle of life, too. We see life throughout a year, and we see the cosset grow up and .
February 26, 2022
What a sweet innocent precious book about the lives of shepherds and their sheep. The ending alone is worthy of the five stars.
It is a slow-moving story, but only eight chapters. Each chapter tells a story about the life of Peter, a young boy whose mother saves a lamb from death. He adopts it as a pet and names her Biddy. Biddy turns out to be an intelligent sheep who leads the flock.
One chapter features the shearing, another the fearsome wolves who attack the flock. At times Peter is in the meadows with the flock and the old shepherd, Benj, who is full of wisdom to share.
"The year had hinges on which it hung, and every hinge had something to do with the sheep; but that was the life on Andrew's farm and the living for his family, and it was right that the sheep should mark it for them." (p. 77)
I liked this little book much more than some other Newbery list books I've read, though I think anyone looking for action and adventure might think it is too slow, so it probably isn't for everyone. It was a Newbery Honor Book in 1944.
It is a slow-moving story, but only eight chapters. Each chapter tells a story about the life of Peter, a young boy whose mother saves a lamb from death. He adopts it as a pet and names her Biddy. Biddy turns out to be an intelligent sheep who leads the flock.
One chapter features the shearing, another the fearsome wolves who attack the flock. At times Peter is in the meadows with the flock and the old shepherd, Benj, who is full of wisdom to share.
"The year had hinges on which it hung, and every hinge had something to do with the sheep; but that was the life on Andrew's farm and the living for his family, and it was right that the sheep should mark it for them." (p. 77)
I liked this little book much more than some other Newbery list books I've read, though I think anyone looking for action and adventure might think it is too slow, so it probably isn't for everyone. It was a Newbery Honor Book in 1944.
July 5, 2022
I remember this book being read to me when I was in first grade, and it was a pleasure to read it to my first grader now. The story has a simple plot that a child can easily enjoy, but it also unfolds with a truth and depth that doesn’t slap you in the face, but waits for you to discover it as you grow old enough to find it. Filled with moments of joy, sadness, love, growing into greater responsibility, kind mentorship, embracing growth and change that comes with the passing of time, and the bittersweet joy and love of watching a child grow up. I was choked up during most of the book and cried at the ending, but it’s so good (and it didn’t make the kids cry, just me 😂).
November 20, 2008
I finished reading this to my kids today. I cried.
August 1, 2020
The lamb must be dead, it seemed, but the old sheepherder, Benj, tried some things he'd learned from his many years with sheep, and the baby lamb stirred. This lamb, Biddy, became the responsibility of young Peter, and he cared for his cosset well. Biddy and Peter grew up together, Biddy to become the leader of the sheep, and Peter, a strong young man.
It's a simple story of a simple life, and it's filled with the deep wisdom that comes from a life caring for sheep.
One of my favorite parts of the story was when Peter had to leave Biddy in the pasture with the others. Biddy bleated as he returned to the house, calling to him, and Peter kept turning back to look at Biddy. Benj advised Peter not to look back, but Peter insisted on continuing to turn back toward his cosset. "I don't care for anything but my cosset," Peter said stubbornly. Benj wisely told Peter, "There are many things in the world. If we care for them all a little we won't feel the hurt too much when we part with one."
A 1944 Newbery Honor Book.
It's a simple story of a simple life, and it's filled with the deep wisdom that comes from a life caring for sheep.
One of my favorite parts of the story was when Peter had to leave Biddy in the pasture with the others. Biddy bleated as he returned to the house, calling to him, and Peter kept turning back to look at Biddy. Benj advised Peter not to look back, but Peter insisted on continuing to turn back toward his cosset. "I don't care for anything but my cosset," Peter said stubbornly. Benj wisely told Peter, "There are many things in the world. If we care for them all a little we won't feel the hurt too much when we part with one."
A 1944 Newbery Honor Book.
October 14, 2019
In some ways, this book was good. The story felt unique and fresh to me - innocent, real, and weighty. There were some statements so profound that I had to stop reading and think about them for a moment. The writing style, however, made the book drag for me. But that’s more of a personal preference kind of thing. :)
December 10, 2025
What a sweet book!
July 6, 2011
This gentle story of a boy, a lamb, love and loss, is a 1944 Newbery honor book. It is a light, delightful read.
hardcopy-review-to-read
June 3, 2014My edition has the ISBN 9780890847060, but the cover image matches this one.
March 24, 2019
This was not too bad. My sons enjoyed me reading this to them. It gave them insight as to what it would be like to raise sheep on a mountain and the cycle of life for a sheep as well. I know my sons like a book when they ask me to read it and are really drawn in and want me to read more when a chapter is complete, and this had that effect, even though the chapters were long. They have seen sheep being sheared in an old fashioned way like the book describes too, so that was helpful for them to understand what it looks like in person.
September 24, 2024
This is a Newbery Honor book and is a very quick read for an adult. It is the story of a young boy who gets to keep a lamb that almost dies. He then raises it and keeps it until it starts having its own lambs. The story gives some insight into the life of a sheep farmer. I'm not sure that many kids today would enjoy this book.
April 30, 2019
This story of a mountain shepherd boy and his life, seem framed in the life of a lamb, is wonderful in its narrative rhythm. There's a flow to the text that seems to match the rustic life you're reading. The characters are endearing, and you learn all about the rich life of the young protagonist.
May 6, 2019
i think this book is very interesting!
March 12, 2020
This was a short, sweet novel about sheep farming and countryside life. My kids enjoyed listening to it as a read-aloud.
January 6, 2025
I read this as a read aloud to my kids. We loved it! What a sweet story about sheep and the life of shepherds. It was fun and exciting enough to keep the kids interest but also had a lot of deep metaphors that made me enjoy it as an adult. Highly recommend!
September 30, 2025
A tender, sweet boy story. I am thankful to have enjoyed it as a shared-reading book with my eight-year-old son.
January 5, 2023
Age: 5+ for read aloud
Content considerations: none
Achingly beautiful for the mother of a young boy. Tears stand in my eyes. This book will forever hold a cherished place on my shelves.
Content considerations: none
Achingly beautiful for the mother of a young boy. Tears stand in my eyes. This book will forever hold a cherished place on my shelves.
July 18, 2024
Elizabeth Yates is becoming one of my favorite authors. This is a short, very simple story about a boy and his sheep herding family. Beautifully written, with lots of biblical imagery, this is just a lovely story. I will definitely be reading the sequel.
June 23, 2025
3.5 STARS
September 12, 2024
4.5🌟
The kiddos really enjoyed this one. A sweet story about the seasons and changes on a sheep farm and in life. A young boy growing up, learning about the Good Shepherd.
The kiddos really enjoyed this one. A sweet story about the seasons and changes on a sheep farm and in life. A young boy growing up, learning about the Good Shepherd.
August 12, 2016
Oh. This book was so beautiful. It was a quick, yet rich, read and the perfect antidote to Waugh's Vile Bodies that depressed me so deeply. It caused me to stop and meditate on how many wise people I have been privileged to have in my life, just as the young man in this story had around him. This is a book about a boy and his lamb but it is also about life and mentoring and the correct way to raise up a child. I loved it and am a wee bit sad that it was published in the same year as Johnny Tremain, as this one also deserves to be the Newbery Award winner, glad it at least received an honorable mention. Of course the following passage was my favourite...
"You must have read books and books to know so many stories," Peter would say admiringly.
"Books -" Benj echoed, and his soft eyes grew misty; "we had a Book in our home and my father read to us every night after the supper."
"A book?" Peter could not imagine a household with only one book. After all, even their little farmhouse had several, and there were houses down in the valley which had many books.
"Aye, a Book," Benj repeated, lovingly.
Then Peter knew what book it was.
"You mean the one we hear read from at church on Sundays?" he asked.
Benj nodded. "My father read from it every day."
"There are sheep in it, aren't there?" Peter asked.
"Sheep aplenty," Benj answered, "and a boy named David looking after some of them."
"You must have read books and books to know so many stories," Peter would say admiringly.
"Books -" Benj echoed, and his soft eyes grew misty; "we had a Book in our home and my father read to us every night after the supper."
"A book?" Peter could not imagine a household with only one book. After all, even their little farmhouse had several, and there were houses down in the valley which had many books.
"Aye, a Book," Benj repeated, lovingly.
Then Peter knew what book it was.
"You mean the one we hear read from at church on Sundays?" he asked.
Benj nodded. "My father read from it every day."
"There are sheep in it, aren't there?" Peter asked.
"Sheep aplenty," Benj answered, "and a boy named David looking after some of them."
June 11, 2012
This book is such a simple one, yet such a profound one. In a day and age when life is fast-paced and so are the best-selling books of the day, it is nice to return to a book that is "quiet," as one reviewer noted. I loved this book for many more reasons though. This book brings me back to time spent on various farms (in Wisconsin, in Florida, in Indiana, as a child, as a married man, as a young father, and as an older father). This story describes a boy growing to be a responsible young man as he is guided through life by his father and an elder mentor. It is also about a young boy learning about the "stuff of life" (birth, death, love, friendship, business sense, and responsibility). I cannot wait for the day to read this with my children and my grand-children (Lord-willing one day).
April 10, 2009
This is an extraordinary story, set in the sparsely populated mountains, of growing up and getting to know oneself and of real love for family and those people we would be lucky enough to call true friends. I can very much see how this was given a Newbery Honor citation in 1944, though it was certainly bad luck for Mountain Born to have been published contemporaneously with the classic "Johnny Tremain".
I highly recommend this lovely, tender story to anyone who likes books that are infused with wisdom, warm humor, and an innate sense of decency and heart. It is an excellent story.
I highly recommend this lovely, tender story to anyone who likes books that are infused with wisdom, warm humor, and an innate sense of decency and heart. It is an excellent story.
July 1, 2013
I absolutely adored this simple, beautiful story. I read it as a bedtime story to my little boys who will never experience being a shepherd firsthand but, thanks to this book, received important life lessons all shepherds must learn. Most of the book is religiously neutral, but there's a part in the middle when the strong but silent Benj talks about the only book his family had growing up. It's very sweet and talks about the sheep and shepherds in the Bible in such simple terms. I was touched. If you love the Little House on the Prairie books, you'll likely love Mountain Born.
March 24, 2021
Something about the prose felt stilted. I kept finding myself misspeaking and having to repeat the sentence. It just didn't seem to flow. And many of the the chapters ended so awkwardly/abruptly. We were also kind of confused when the plot just skipped a full five years without much explanation. We were all like, "Wait, what just happened?" My last criticism is that the protagonist is just way too perfect to be relatable. So, it wasn't a favorite, but I did like the themes of loving one's work, respecting animals and what they give us, working hard and living a simple, faithful life.
April 24, 2016
I loved this book for children, well-written by Elizabeth Yates, and beautifully illustrated by Nora S. Unwin. It was about a young boy growing up and learning both the pleasant and difficult aspects of raising sheep. The book rang true for me, based on experiences I had visiting my grandfather's farm as a child. (He had cattle, chickens and often a hog but had previously raised sheep as well).
I can certainly see why it was a Newberry honor book in its time.
I can certainly see why it was a Newberry honor book in its time.
April 6, 2009
I liked this very much! Very descriptive and conservative. Includes allusions to and quotations from Scripture. It does end rather abruptly, leaving one with several questions. Well-deserving of the Newberry Honor it received.
November 13, 2008
A truly beautiful book, and a tear jerker for any mom with young sons.
May 23, 2017
Read-aloud for school. Although the story itself is lovely and slow and rich, I just had the hardest time reading it aloud! None of us really loved it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews