Dashrath Manjhi used a hammer and chisel, grit, determination, and twenty years to carve a path through the mountain separating his poor village from the nearby village with schools, markets, and a hospital. Manjhi Moves a Mountain is a true story about how we can all make a difference if our hearts are big enough.

Manjhi Moves a Mountain is the winner of the South Asia Book Award and a Junior Library Guild selection among many other honors. The book is available in English, in Braille through the National Braille Press, and in several languages in India, Sri Lanka and South Africa through the charitable organization Room to Read. It is a part of school curriculums. Educators can also get a low-priced paperback version through Scholastic’s online Teacher Store.

Read an article about the One City One Book program in Pleasanton Weekly here.

An honor being the monthly Storyteller for Air4Arts. Loved talking with Linda Wachel, Director of Admissions at Oak Hill Academy, about how her school’s students took Manjhi’s message to heart and moved mountains by helping homeless children at the Vogel Alcove in Dallas. #OakHillAcademyMovesMountains

Manjhi Moves a Mountain featured on Story Time with Michele!

FINALIST! MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN is on the shortlist for the 2021 Sakura Medal in Japan.

2020 Greenwich Reads Together Elementary School Selection

2020 Winner Northern Dawn Lights Award for Best Nonfiction Picture Book

WINNER! MANJHI is the winner of the 2018 South Asia Book Award, presented at the 2018 NCTE in Houston in November! Manjhi was published Sept. 1, 2017 by Creston Books with fabulous watercolor illustrations by Danny Popovici. To complement this true story about a man in India who moved a mountain for love, using only a hammer, chisel and his own persistence, check out the page called 'Move Your Own Mountain,' where we celebrate kids to share stories of something they've done to make things better in their school and community. The goal is for the kids to inspire each other and make the kindness spread.

WINNER! MANJHI won the 2019 Anne Izard Storytellers' Choice Award. From the committee: "This award seeks to highlight and promote distinguished titles published in the field of storytelling. It is named for Anne Izard, who died in 1990; she served as noted librarian, storyteller, and Children’s Services Consultant in Westchester County, New York. The two-year award period recognizes thirteen titles, making it an (Augusta) Baker's dozen. Augusta Baker, another powerful storyteller responsible for training an army of librarians during the mid-Twentieth Century, served as head of services to Children at the New York Public Library. As a committee, we loved your telling of this true story, and recognized the power it can have to listeners…as vividly shown by the great number of projects it has inspired highlighted on your author website!"

And check out the company Manjhi is keeping on this list: books by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.​; Maria Tatar​; Emily Jenkins; Curtis Manley​; Philip Pullman​; Csenge Zalka; Jane Yolen​; Neil Gaiman​; Kevin Crossley-Holland​; Carmen Agra Deedy​ and Oge Mora​! Thank you to the Anne Izard Storytellers' Choice Award committee!

In April 2019, MANJHI became available in Braille through the National Braille Press at this link here.

My story, We Can All Move Mountains, for Paths to Literacy for students who are blind or visually impaired here.

​MANJHI also had a busy November of 2018. The book was presented at the New York City Librarians conference at CitiField in Queens Nov. 6, at the Louisiana Book Festival in Baton Rouge, LA Nov. 10 and received the 2018 South Asia Book Award, along with illustrator Danny Popovici, during the National Council for Teachers of English in Houston.

The Teacher Store at Scholastic now offers a low-priced paperback of Manjhi Moves a Mountain for educators only.

You’ll read the honors that MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN has received below, but the greatest honor is the way kids have been inspired by Manjhi to #MoveYourOwnMountain Check out some of their projects and join us! After all, Manjhi moved an actual mountain to help his village, but every time we do kind things for others, we move mountains. Please send a photo with a caption of how kids you know are moving mountains and we’ll share and inspire others to move mountains, too!

HONORS

SAKURA MEDAL shortlist: 2021

2020 Greenwich Reads Together

WINNER: 2019 Anne Izard Storytellers' Choice Award

WINNER: 2018 South Asia Book Award for grades Pre-K to 4

2019 Jack Ezra Keats Universal Childhood Experience

2019 Little Free Libraries Action Book Club selection by Children’s Book Council

2017 Junior Library Guild Selection

2017-2018 Wisconsin State Reading Association Picture This list

2018 California Reading Association Eureka Honor Book

2018 Ezra Jack Keats Award Finalist

2018 Children's & Teen Choice Book Awards Finalist

2018 ILA-CBC Children's Choices List

2018 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Selection

2017-2018 Wisconsin State Reading Association Picture This Recommendation List

Translated into Braille by the National Braille Press in April 2019

Translated by the non-profit charity, Room to Read, into multiple languages for children in Asia and Africa in 2019. Read The Kids Are All Write column about “Manjhi in Many Languages” here.

Letter from a parent to Maria Sweet, librarian, at West Rockill Elementary in Sellersville, PA., following a Skype presentation on MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN:

Hi Mrs. Sweet,

I want to let you know how much of an impact this book made on Charlotte. She told us all the story, and all about Skyping with the author. My husband ordered her the book on Amazon, and it arrived today. She has read it aloud to each of us in the family already.

Thank you so much for choosing such an impactful book for the kids. One that teaches them about so many important issues: poverty, persistence, and helping others. Thank you also for arranging the Skype with the author, which made it all the more interesting and real for Charlotte.

Keep up your amazing work for our kids! 

Check out and share the free Manjhi Moves a Mountain Curriculum Guide. It addresses the book's themes, teaches simple words in Hindi and gives a delicious recipe for roti.

MOVE YOUR OWN MOUNTAIN: Join children from all over in showing ways in you are moving mountains by making a positive difference in your school and community.. Share a photo and details that we can post here.

Check out MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN in a Braille translation from the National Braille Press here.

REVIEWS

"A man moved a mountain – how is that even possible? I flipped the pages of Nancy Churnin’s children’s book, Manjhi Moves a Mountain with a sense of disbelief. Disbelief soon turned to awe as I learnt about Manjhi and his mountain."

--Nirupama, India Currents

“Manjhi Moves a Mountain "makes a great read aloud story with its frequent use of onomatopoeias and the saturated colors of each page. For readers and educators looking for biographies, or books about remarkable people, this is a must read... Inspiring.”

—April Butler for The Crimson Review of Children’s & YA Literature. Read the full review here.

“Manjhi’s story is an excellent reminder of the power of one person to change the world and bring communities together.”
— Clare Doornbus, Diesel Bookstore

“Manjhi inspires children to persevere despite challenges. Using a well-known Indian story, Nancy Churnin gives children valuable insight into another culture in a manner that promotes tolerance and cultural awareness.”
— Rachel Ball-Phillips, Southern Methodist University

"This true life story of an Indian sage who became revered and known as the Mountain Man is inspiring and moving to young readers age 5 and up. Beautiful earth-toned illustrations depict the mighty work of Manjhi and the awe and respect of his village friends. "Manjhi Moves a Mountain" is a true modern treasure and wisdom life story."

— MidWest Book Review

"Churnin’s prose has an elegance appropriate for her inspiring tale, which is based on a true story. Popovich’s double-page illustrations use a warm palette and are nicely composed. Heartening. (Picture book. 5-8)"

-- Kirkus Reviews

 "An author’s note provides more information about Dashrath Manjhi (1934-2007), the inspiration for this tale, and encourages kids to move their own “mountain” and find a way “to make things better in your community” (a link to share their efforts with other readers is included). Filled with heart and hopefulness, this uplifting tale shows youngsters that one person can make a difference."

--School Library Journal, "The Power of Possibility: Dreamers Who Changed the World"

"Author Nancy Churnin, the theater critic for The Dallas Morning News, and illustrator Danny Popovici inject new life into the late Dashrath Manjhi’s story. In Bihar, Manjhi single-handedly chiseled his way through a mountain—because it had prevented his injured wife from reaching the hospital on time. This superhuman feat, which helped his village gain better access to amenities, took the Mountain Man 22 years."

--Murali Kamma, Khabar Magazine

“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”… In my previous columns, I’ve already mentioned books about M K Gandhi, B R Ambedkar, Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg — all of them excellent examples of the effect that one person can have on the world. Here are some more stories: … Manjhi Moves a Mountain, by Nancy Churnin and illustrated by Danny Popovici, is the story of how Dashrath Manjhi used a hammer and a chisel to carve a path through a mountain to connect his village to the outside world.”

Shruth Rao, The undeniable power of one, Deccan Herald

“It is a great read for kids from Kindergarten and up.”

—Valerie Chase, Literary Homeschool

MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN is now available in Braille from the National Braille Press!