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East Africa is a long way from East Montpelier. Unless, that is, you’re a Vermont kid connecting with African tribespeople via Skype. Stowe photographer and author Jan Reynolds has written several books on vanishing cultures — the most recent of which, Only the Mountains Do Not Move, is about the nomadic Maasai tribe. But local kids don’t have to settle for gorgeous pictures of the colorful Kenyans who favor red plaid garments and elaborate beaded jewelry. A Vermont fundraiser last year financed the purchase of an iPad, a smartphone, solar batteries and a charger for the Africans, so the kids — from both continents — can communicate directly with each other.

“Only The Mountains Do Not Move: A Maasai Story of Culture and Conservation” By Jan Reynolds, Lee & Low Books, 40 pages, $18.95 hardcover, $9.95 softcover, ages 6 and up. Info, janreynolds.com.

This article was originally published in Seven Days’ monthly parenting magazine, Kids VT.

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Kate Laddison is the Associate Editor of Kids VT. She lives in St. Albans with her husband and son.