A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Namaste! helps support The Mountain Institute, a non-profit organization working to empower communities that call mountains home.
Nima Sherpa lives in Nepal at the top of the world, where the tallest mountain on earth, Chomolongma—the mountain we call Everest—towers above the clouds. Nima has promised her father, a mountain guide, that she will find a way to help make the world a better place.
Every day, on the long walk to the market village where she goes to school, Nima meets porters and caravans carrying their goods to market, travelers trekking to their next lodge, and monks on their way to their monastery. After school, she meets her friend Tenzing, an old Tibetan trader, who shares some honey with her at the market place.
Whenever Nima sees someone, she brings her hands together with her fingers almost touching her chin, bows her head slightly, and says “Namaste”—the light in me meets the light in you. Her mother tells her, “When you say ‘Namaste,’ try to see the special spark of light that shines within every person’s heart.”
In Namaste! Nima learns that she brightens the day for friends and strangers alike when she shares her sweetness and light, every time she says “Namaste.”
Woven into this simple, gentle story about recognizing and honoring the sacred in one another are delightful details of daily life in Nepal.
Namaste! is lusciously illustrated by artist Amy Cordóva, with a glossary of terms at the end of the book, and an informative afterword by Ang Rita Sherpa of The Mountain Institute.
(Ages 5–8)
Diana Cohn is an educator with an active commitment to social justice work. She was a teacher for many years, and now works for a national foundation that supports communities organizing for economic and environmental justice. She has a master’s degree in education from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. She is the author of Dream Carver and Si, Se Puede! Yes, We Can! Janitor Strike in L.A. Visit her website at www.dreamcarver.org See all titles by this author
Amy Córdova is a long-time arts educator, with a focus on intergenerational collaborations based on story, cultural tradition, and language. She has been recognized for her work as an illustrator of children's books, including the Southwest Book Award and the New Mexico Governor's Award. Amy lives in Taos, New Mexico, where she is partner in a fine arts gallery that features her dynamic and colorful paintings and sculpture. See all titles by this author
Ang Rita Sherpa is Senior Program Manager for The Mountain Institute, a Washington DC-based organization dedicated to preserving mountain cultures around the world. He has a master’s degree in Protected Landscape Management from the University of Wales, UK. Ang Rita Sherpa has facilitated many workshops on eco-tourism and sustainable development projects and has served as a volunteer for the National Parks Service in the U.S. before joining The Mountain Institute in 1988. Visit The Mountain Institute online at www.mountain.org. See all titles by this author
Nima Sherpa lives in Nepal at the top of the world, where the tallest mountain on earth, Chomolongma—the mountain we call Everest—towers above the clouds. Nima has promised her father, a mountain guide, that she will find a way to help make the world a better place.
Whenever Nima sees someone, she brings her hands together with her fingers almost touching her chin, bows her head slightly, and says “Namaste”—the light in me meets the light in you. Her mother tells her, “When you say ‘Namaste,’ try to see the special spark of light that shines within every person’s heart.”
Diana Cohn is an educator with an active commitment to social justice work. She was a teacher for many years, and now works for a national foundation that supports communities organizing for economic and environmental justice. She has a master’s degree in education from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. She is the author of Dream Carver and Si, Se Puede! Yes, We Can! Janitor Strike in L.A. Visit her website at 
Amy Córdova is a long-time arts educator, with a focus on intergenerational collaborations based on story, cultural tradition, and language. She has been recognized for her work as an illustrator of children's books, including the Southwest Book Award and the New Mexico Governor's Award. Amy lives in Taos, New Mexico, where she is partner in a fine arts gallery that features her dynamic and colorful paintings and sculpture.
Ang Rita Sherpa is Senior Program Manager for The Mountain Institute, a Washington DC-based organization dedicated to preserving mountain cultures around the world. He has a master’s degree in Protected Landscape Management from the University of Wales, UK. Ang Rita Sherpa has facilitated many workshops on eco-tourism and sustainable development projects and has served as a volunteer for the National Parks Service in the U.S. before joining The Mountain Institute in 1988. Visit The Mountain Institute online at