Review by Kei Nakagawa -- The Mountain and The Goat

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keiyoshi
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Review by Kei Nakagawa -- The Mountain and The Goat

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[Following is a volunteer review of "The Mountain and The Goat" by Siamak Taghaddos.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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If you’re traveling up the mountain and was given bread and water by a singing goat, what would you do?

The Mountain and the Goat is a children’s book written by Siamak Taghaddos and illustrated by Zachary Cain that teaches entrepreneurship and resourcefulness through a journey to the mountain. In this tiring journey, the protagonist meets a singing goat that was kind enough to give him some water and bread.

Aside from the supplies, the goat also provided the first and the most important lesson the story presents: “Do what you wish, but plan ahead!” With this, the protagonist, who is also the narrator, decided to eat the bread and use the water to water the soil. From the soil, he obtained grass which he fed to the cow that later on gave him milk, and the story progresses further to a peaceful ending.

I love how the first part of the book already presents several points of discussion. First, the topic presented by the author may not be new but is necessary. Personally, I believe that entrepreneurship and resourcefulness are important lessons to be introduced to kids at an early age as they highlight the value of things and opportunities. This is emphasized by the singing goat as it reminded the readers how things can lead to fruitful results when handled correctly.

Second, while the easiest and the most obvious course of action was to drink the water, the story teaches us yet another valuable lesson – sacrifice and investment. In entrepreneurship, it is important to realize that not everything will easily lead to a gain or profit, and there will be some necessary losses along the way. Moreover, the progress of the story shows how important it is to look long term, and isn’t that the main core of entrepreneurship?

With the protagonist’s decision to ‘invest’ the water and consume the bread, it left me to wonder: Was it a better course of action to ‘invest’ the bread as well? Almost immediately, I realized that maybe the bread was meant to be consumed as it emphasizes the importance of losses. If not, then I ask myself: What can I do with bread? I have no particular answer in mind for my question, but maybe that’s the main point of the book – to showcase resourcefulness in very simple and daily situations.

As the story unfolds, I can’t help but notice that the author links entrepreneurship to helping others as well. This involves helping animals, other people, and his family. In my perspective, the book presents that as we go along in life with entrepreneurship, we might help other people and beings in the process without even realizing it.

Furthermore, The Mountain and the Goat emphasized that while helping others is noble, there is nothing compared to helping your family up, too, which brings us to the last lesson of the story provided by the ending – satisfaction and contentment. We often hear and say the words, “Work hard,” but we never ask, “Until when?” I think the book provides an answer to that by saying, “Work hard until you feel safe enough to rest with your family.” It may not be as catchy, but I like how even at the last lesson, familial relationships are still emphasized and, this tells us a lot about the author.

It’s no wonder how Siamak Taghaddos's The Mountain and the Goat will receive a perfect four out of four stars from me. I didn’t see anything I dislike about the book. It’s flawless. It is simple and professionally edited as I did not notice any typographical and grammatical errors. The poetic style of the narration was effective as well as Zachary Cain’s art style. The incorporation of animals in the story also makes it very appealing to its target readers. More importantly, like all children’s books, it proves that you don’t need loads of words to make sense and to teach others. It is perfect not only for children but also for children at heart as it presents lessons that adults may need reminding of.

Now, allow me to ask again: If you’re traveling up the mountain and was given bread and water by a singing goat, what would you do?

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The Mountain and The Goat
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LuciusM
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Post by LuciusM »

I would do what I wish but plan ahead. I think that was the lesson of the story as per you well elaborated review.
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rahilshajahan
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Post by rahilshajahan »

I just reviewed this book as well. 20 sentences, but all of them enriched with a powerful moral. Your review is spot on! Keep it up!
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keiyoshi
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Post by keiyoshi »

rahilshajahan wrote: 09 Aug 2020, 12:16 I just reviewed this book as well. 20 sentences, but all of them enriched with a powerful moral. Your review is spot on! Keep it up!
Thanks! Glad you liked it.
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keiyoshi
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Post by keiyoshi »

LuciusM wrote: 08 Aug 2020, 19:50 I would do what I wish but plan ahead. I think that was the lesson of the story as per you well elaborated review.
It does seem like the most viable option, doesn't it? Thanks for the comment!
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