Review by Booklist Review
Ages 5^-8. Beatrice lives in a small Ugandan village with her mother and five younger siblings. She yearns to go to school, but there's not enough money, and she must help her mother care for the house and children. But when an aid organization donates a goat to the family, Beatrice's life changes: the goat produces first kids and then milk, which nourishes the family and provides enough steady income to send Beatrice to school. Heifer Project International, an organization that provides livestock to poor families, sent the author and the illustrator to Beatrice's village, and the result is this attractive, fictionalized account. Although clearly propaganda for the program, the well-crafted text and richly colored realistic paintings, reminiscent of Brian Pinkney's work, bring alive the realities of daily life in an eastern African village and the enormous impact of small gifts. An afterword from Hillary Rodham Clinton gives the project another plug. Gillian Engberg
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In what PW called "an uplifting picture book" inspired by actual events, a girl longs to attend school but instead must tend to her younger siblings and help her mother in the fields. Everything starts to change when the family receives a goat. "Sunny acrylic paintings capture the hues of dusty thatched huts and verdant banana groves of the African landscape." Ages 4-8. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-Page McBrier based her book (Atheneum, 2001) on a true success story from Heifer International-an organization that changes lives through the gift of farm animals. Beatrice lives in Uganda. She longs to attend school, but her family can't afford it. Instead, her days are filled with traditional chores. When the family is given a goat, however, everything changes. The milk provides needed nourishment, and the excess is sold to neighboring villages. The goat gives birth to two kids which become a source of income for the family. Such a small thing eventually allows Beatrice to achieve her dream of an education. Lori Lohstoeter's rich acrylic illustrations are scanned iconographically, with some very slight animation added, as Audra McDonald reads the text. Original background music has an African flavor. The author both opens and closes the video, providing additional information about Heifer International, and introducing viewers to the real Beatrice. This video will give young viewers an insight into daily life in Uganda and, hopefully, a greater appreciation for the simple things in their own lives. Classroom discussions would naturally spring from the inspiring story, and it has possibilities for extension activities in math, social studies, or economics. It might also serve to encourage young viewers to think of small ways in which they can help others.-Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
This book is intended to publicize the work of the Heifer Project, a group that provides livestock to people in developing countries. In the story, Beatrice's life changes for the better when her family receives a goat. The warm tones of the acrylic paintings, the loving family depicted, and the sincere text relate the everyday activities of a young Ugandan girl. An afterword by Hillary Rodham Clinton gives information about the organization. From HORN BOOK Fall 2001, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An organization that provides livestock to Third World families is the raison dêtre of this earnest offering. McBrier tells the story of Beatrice, a little Ugandan girl whose family receives a goat from the Heifer Project International. The milk Mugisa (luck) gives keeps Beatrices whole family from malnutrition, and the profits they make from selling whats left pay to send Beatrice to school and eventually raise the family to an undreamed-of level of prosperity. McBriers prose is uneven, the occasional felicitous phrase (Then Beatrice kissed Mugisa on the soft part of her nose, close to where her chin hairs curled just so . . .) clashing with the leaden ones (Beatrice knew Mugisas milk would keep them all much healthier). Lohstoeters vibrant acrylics are as uneven as the text, sometimes charming (Mugisas face is particularly expressive), sometimes awkward and static. Hillary Rodham Clinton states in an afterward that the story of Beatrice is an invitation to all of us to support those efforts that provide resources, educate families, and lift community spirits. The good intentions of this book ooze from every page, but in this case, they pave the road to a product whose message cripples what little story there is. Two percent of the proceeds will go to the Heifer Projectconsider sending a contribution and saving your book budget for less freighted purchases. (Picture book. 4-8)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
