On the Small Hill Where the Girls Take Off Their Shoes

“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.

Jairo Buitrago is the author of many picture books, including Jimmy the Greatest!, Two White Rabbits, Walk with Me, and Lion and Mouse. His books Drawing Outdoors, Ways to Make Friends, and Afterward, Everything Was Different were also published by Greystone Kids. His books have received numerous starred reviews and been included on multiple book of the year lists, including by Kirkus, Horn Book, and the White Ravens catalogue.

Linda Wolfsgruber is a Hans Christian Andersen honor illustrator. Her best-known titles published in English are Brunhilda and the Ring, The Camel in the Sun, Inanna, Stories From the Life of Jesus, and A Daisy is a Daisy is a Daisy.