It Takes a Village [Hardcover]

Jane Cowen-Fletcher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1994 | Age Level: 4 and up

It takes a whole village to raise a child,"" a young girl proudly watches her brother and then realizes that the entire village has been watching them both.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Cowen-Fletcher ( Mama Zooms ), who served in the Peace Corps in Benin, West Africa, offers an affecting interpretation of a Benin proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child." As a mother carries a tub of mangoes into the village to sell on market day, she asks her daughter Yemi to keep an eye on her younger brother, Kokou. The amiable girl readily agrees, and she proudly tells her mother's colleagues that she is old enough to watch him "All by myself." The women smile and nod, "but they knew better." Soon Yemi learns what they know so well: there are many watchful eyes on Kokou. When she turns her back to buy a bag of peanuts, Kokou wanders off. As a worried Yemi searches the marketplace for him, the illustrations--calm renderings in colored pencil with watercolor washes--show the boy being cared for by various vendors at the market. Reunited with Kokou, Yemi thanks each of them in turn. Cowen-Fletcher's simple narrative and quiet but detailed art provide a heartening portrait of a caring community, and an edifying glimpse of a culture unfamiliar to most American children. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-A wonderfully illustrated story based on a West African proverb. Yemi's mother asks her to care for her younger brother and the girl is delighted at the prospect of taking on a grown-up task. The three of them set out to the village market, where Mama will sell mangoes. Yemi soon loses Kokou, but instead of the terrible things she imagines happening to him, the toddler is lovingly cared for by all of the adults he meets-he is fed, given something to drink, played with, and allowed to nap. The bright watercolors depict the people's multicolored garb and show various aspects of village life, especially the workings of an open-air market. Men and women, young and old, are shown selling peanuts, cloth, pottery, and mats. In the end, Yemi learns, along with readers, that "It takes a village to raise a child." A lovely, gentle, visually appealing book that conveys a sense of what it means to belong to a community.
Carol Jones Collins, Montclair Kimberley Academy, NJ
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover
• Publisher: Scholastic (January 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590465732
• ISBN-13: 978-0590465731
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,231,717 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A nice book for deeping our understanding of other cultures., January 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: It Takes a Village (Hardcover)

I Love this book very much. Like Osa's Pride (Grifalconi, 1990), It Takes a Village (Cowen-Fletcher, 1994) depicts both universal and cultural specific themes. In the story, Yemi is learning to take responsibilities, watching her little brother while her mother is busy. And she is proud of being able to take such a responsibility. The positive portrayal of sibling relationship seems to be a common and preferable theme in many children's books. The culturally specific value, collectivism, is carried out through the story naturally and in an authentic manner. Cowen-Fletcher's first hand experience of living in Benin and her careful note in the end of the story add the authenticity to this story. In addition, Heath's study (1983) of child rearing practice among African Americans in rural areas of South Carolina also reveals this collective aspect of African culture. The author/illustrator is sensitive about the pronunciation of the child's name and explains it before the story. However, she does not explain the meaning or pronunciation of some Benin vocabulary in this book, such as "Yay gay" and "Cho". It would have been more helpful had she adds notes for these two words.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True to Life, August 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: It Takes a Village (Hardcover)

I lived in Benin for two years and I must say that the drawings in this book are amazingly realistic and incredibly detailed. It is a wonderful story for children and families. I usually give it to first time parents (unique baby shower gift). Regarding the previous review - "Cho" and "Yay Gay" are interjections similar to "Oh No" or "Oh My".

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It takes a village to raise a child, June 22, 2003

By 

TheRAWKidzReview - See all my reviews

This review is from: It Takes a Village (Hardcover)

It Takes A Village is the well-crafted story of Yeis who joins her mother for market day. She's been entrusted to watch after her little brother Kokou and is quite proud of her responsibility, so she heads off with her brother. Departing, she shares news that she's watching her brother all alone. Knowingly, her mother smiles...moments later Kokou is separated from Yemi and she searches through the marketplace worrying over his safety.

Not only has Cowen-Fletcher given us a moving story, but it is complemented well by her beautiful colored pencils with watercolor washes. They bring out the importance of community and the saying "it takes a village to raise a child."

Reviewed by Tee C. Royal
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers