First to the Top

Up on the world's highest mountain, the sky is tinged the black colour of space and the air is almost too thin to breathe.

How did Ed, a small, shy boy from the tiny town of Tuakau in New Zealand, grow up to become the world's most famous mountaineer and adventurer? How did he climb Everest and do so many other astonishing things?

This exceptional picture book, written by internationally acclaimed children's author David Hill and illustrated by Phoebe Morris, tells the story of Sir Ed and his climb to the top of Mt Everest. It's a story about courage, skill and determination, and an inspiration to anyone who dreams of reaching the top.

About the Author

David Hill spent most of his childhood and teenage years in Napier. He studied at Victoria University of Wellington and became a high school teacher, teaching both in New Zealand and the UK. He became a full-time writer in 1982 and is one of this country's most highly regarded authors for children and young people. David's books have been published internationally and his short stories and plays for young people have been broadcast here and overseas. David has won awards for his writing in this country and overseas. He was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2004. Most recently My Brother's War, published by Penguin in 2012, won the Junior Fiction and the Children's Choice Junior Fiction awards in the 2013 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.