Beatrice's Goat [Paperback]

Page McBrier (Author), Lori Lohstoeter (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: June 22, 2004 | Age Range: 4 and up

More than anything, Beatrice longs to be a schoolgirl. But in her small African village, only children who can afford uniforms and books can go to school. Beatrice knows that with six children to care for, her family is much too poor.

But then Beatrice receives a wonderful gift from some people far away -- a goat! Fat and sleek as a ripe mango, Mugisa (which means "luck") gives milk that Beatrice can sell. With Mugisa's help, it looks as if Beatrice's dream may come true after all.

Page McBrier and Lori Lohstoeter beautifully recount this true story about how one child, given the right tools, is able to lift her family out of poverty. Thanks to Heifer Project International -- a charitable organization that donates livestock to poor communities around the world -- other families like Beatrice's will also have a chance to change their lives.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

When her family's fat, sleek new goat arrives in her poor Ugandan village, little Beatrice hugs her close and whispers, "Mama says you are our lucky gift...." And indeed it is true. Soon the goat bears two kids and provides enough milk to both feed the family and sell for profit. Until the goat arrived, life was very hard for Beatrice and her five brothers and sisters. The family could not afford to send the children to school, and it was difficult to make ends meet. Magically this one small animal, one of 12 given the village, opens up a new world of health and prosperity. Before the year is out, Beatrice happily realizes her dream of becoming a school girl and her delighted family moves into a sturdy new house.

Based on the true account of one family who received aid from Heifer Project International, a charitable organization that donates livestock to poor communities around the world, this moving story is eloquently and gracefully recounted. Vividly evoking the lush tropical landscape of central Africa, Lohstoeter's rich, deeply-hued illustrations perfectly complement the text and make Beatrice and her world affectingly real. Although she may live far removed from the comfortable middle-class lives of many young readers, it is clear that Beatrice is a girl of unusual heart and, like any child, filled with hopes and dreams. In her afterword Hillary Rodham Clinton writes, "Beatrice's Goat is a heartwarming reminder that families, wherever they live, can change their lives for the better." A portion of the publisher's proceeds goes to support the Heifer Project. (Ages 4 to 8) --Marianne Painter --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

An impoverished family begins to flourish after receiving a special gift--of the four-legged variety--in this uplifting picture book set in western Uganda. Beatrice longs to attend school with other village children, but instead she must tend her five younger siblings and help her mother in the fields. Everything starts to change, however, when Beatrice and her family receive a goat, "a lucky gift," says her mother, from a charitable organization. As the months pass, the animal provides the family with sweet milk to enjoy and sell and a pair of kids that will eventually be sold as well. With the goat's bounty, the family soon has enough money to send Beatrice to school. McBrier's tale, inspired by actual events, succeeds in demonstrating the positive ripple effect of the efforts of one organization, but an afterword by Hillary Rodham Clinton sounds like an advertisement for Heifer Project (the donors of the goat). Perhaps the volume's greatest strength is Lohstoeter's (How the Leopard Got His Spots) sunny acrylic paintings, which capture the hues of dusty thatched huts and verdant banana groves of the African landscape. Sweet-faced Beatrice and her mother take center stage, wearing colorful, traditional clothes, and their bond is palpable. Ages 4-8. (Feb.) Little Rock, Ark.-based Heifer Project International, a nonprofit group working to end global hunger by providing livestock and training to people in need.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (June 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689869908
• ISBN-13: 978-0689869907
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 10 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,785 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Explore the World > Africa
  • #38 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Farm Animals

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Eloquent, Uplifting Story May 5, 2001

By Roz Levine

Format:Hardcover

Beatrice lives in the village of Kisinga, Uganda with her mother and five younger brothers and sisters. Life is hard and the family is very poor. Beatrice dreams of going to school, but knows that the family probably will never have the money for books and a uniform, so that she can attend. And then one day everything changes; the family receives a goat. Beatrice names the goat Mugisa, which means lucky because her mother said the goat was their lucky gift. Soon the goat gives birth to two kids and the family's life begins to change. They have milk to drink and some to sell and in time, they are able to sell one of the kids to improve their lives even more. They build a new sturdy hut with a steel roof that won't leak and are even able to make Beatrice's dream of going to school come true..... Based on the true story of how one family was helped by Heifer Project International, an organization that donates livestock to poor communities, Page McBrier's beautiful and engaging picture book shows how different life can be in other parts of the world and how little it takes to bring hope and changes to developing countries. Her eloquent text is complimented by Lori Lohstoeter's rich and expressive illustrations and together, in a very simple, gentle way, they show youngsters how something, even as small as a goat, can lift a family out of desperate poverty and give them a better life. Perfect for children 4-8, Beatrice's Goat is an uplifting story told with great insight and a wonderful addition to all home bookshelves.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gift of Hope January 31, 2001

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

This is a wonderful book which will inform children who live in the USA that many, many children in the world do not have access to free education. This book tells a story of how just one goat from Heifer Project International not only allows Beatrice to finally go to school, but the income from selling the goats milk also helps to improve her family's life. The children who read this book will have an insight on what life is like for children who live in Africa. The illustrations are beautiful and very colorful.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Wonderful Charity and Heartfelt Story February 16, 2001

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you are trying to teach your children the value of volunteerism and sharing this book is for you! Not only is the story genuine and touching but it supports one of the best charities in existence today. Children all over the world have so much less then children born in the US and with just a simple gift of a goat you can help to change a family's life. What the story doesn't tell you are how goats/cows/chickens/pigs, etc. have also helped keep families from "selling" their young daughters into prostitution to support their families. If you want to do something worthwhile for a family much less fortunate then your own - - BUY A GOAT - - you'll be so happy you did.