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Secret of the Snow Leopard is a sequel to Himalaya, which was a film first and then a picture book. Tsering, the boy whose late father was village chief, is still too young to succeed his father but is anxious to prove himself worthy of the role. So, while on a return journey from the monastery with his stepfather and the village healer, Tsering sneaks away from their camp to climb the dangerous mountain pass where his father died. In the pass, he meets a snow leopard and, through an act of courage, he comes away from the confrontation spiritually recharged.

To say that Tsering is the hero would be misleading, because this is a story of community interdependence rather than individualism. No single figure stands out for long in either the narrative or the illustrations. The narrative – which Tenzing Norbu Lama told to French writer Stephane Frattini and which Shelley Tanaka then translated into English – is straightforward and nicely written. The illustrations by Lama, an artist and spiritual leader from the Dolpo region of the Himalayas (near the Tibet border), are paintings done in the style of the region. They show people carrying out their daily activities, often surrounded by their yaks, in a rocky, treeless landscape. The hills are depicted in grey, blue, and brown with magnificent light effects and meticulous black outlining. And to offset the spare look of the terrain, there are ornate touches, such as swirls of water and the occasional Buddhist devotional image. It’s a great book for its fine craftsmanship and cultural content, even for kids older than the recommended age range