Through Sand and Salt

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

From critically acclaimed artist Elizabeth Zunon, a picture book about one boy on a journey to deliver salt across the desert—a journey that will reveal the precious rock's true value.

In the Sahara, salt is worth its weight in gold. When Malik is finally old enough to join his father's caravan, transporting salt across the long trade route to Timbuktu, he can't wait to prove himself worthy of this big responsibility.

Over the long and difficult route, the boy will discover that salt does far more than just preserve and flavor food. With its essential roles in trade, ritual, civilizations, and even our bodies, salt sustains life. Most important of all, Malik discovers his own self-confidence as he grows from a novice to a future leader of his salt caravan.

This gorgeous, awe-inspiring picture book celebrates the remarkable journey that salt takes, the connections it forges, and its power to nourish us.