Beatrice's Goat

From Our Editors
The Barnes & Noble Review
For many children in the United States, attending school is nothing special. Many take their learning opportunities for granted and often forget that there are other children who are not as fortunate.

Beatrice's Goat tells the story of a young girl who lives in Uganda with her mom and five brothers and sisters. Every day Beatrice helps her mom plant in the fields and grind flour to sell at the market. They barely scrape by with the money they make, having just enough to feed and clothe the family. Beatrice is unable to afford school though she often dreams of wearing a school uniform, writing in a notebook, and studying all the day long.

One day, her mom informs her that they are one of 12 families slated to receive a special gift -- a goat. Beatrice doesn't really understand what's so special, but promises her momma to help care for it. After building a shed for the goat and tending to the pastures, Beatrice finally meets their gift. She befriends the animal and names her Mugisa, which means luck. When the time is right, Beatrice sells the goat's sweet milk at the market. The coins add up and, with this extra money, Beatrice is able to go to school. Mugisa also gives birth to babies that are sold to other families who will benefit from having livestock of their own, and Beatrice and her family are able to save money for a new roof.

This touching story was inspired by the true story of a Ugandan girl who was helped by Heifer Project International. HPI is an outstanding organization that provides livestock to poor communities around the world. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has written the afterword for Beatrice's Goat shares of her belief that lives can change for the better with the help of resources, training, and community support. This book illustrates that belief and will hopefully educate all those who read it. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Heifer Project International.

From the Critics
From Publisher's Weekly - 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.) FYI: Two percent of the publisher's proceeds will be donated to 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.
 
From Children's Literature  
Beatrice's life in her Ugandan village has been greatly changed by the gift of a fat, healthy goat. Before she arrived, Beatrice and her five younger siblings had little hope of attending school. Beatrice longed to, but the family, who could barely afford food, could never manage to pay for the books and uniform, no matter how hard they worked. But with the goat's milk they sell, not only can Beatrice go to school, but other necessities like clothing and medicine can be bought. There is a sense of quiet strength in Lohstoeter's paintings, a solidity of sculptural forms in the characters. The village and surrounding vegetation are detailed just enough to help us understand the living conditions of the family. The goats provide a lively counterpoint, depicted in sprightly activities. The wonderful changes in this family's life are based on the actual Heifer Project International, which provides the animals along with the training to care for them. A portion of the book's purchase price goes to the Project. 2001, An Anne Schwartz Book/Atheneum Books for Young Readers, $16.00. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz
 
From School Library Journal  
K-Gr 3-Beatrice lives in Uganda, where her family is struggling to survive. During the day, she helps her mother watch the five younger children, tend the chickens and the fields, and grind cassava flour for the market. She is not excited when her mother explains that a charitable organization has given them a goat, which will be Beatrice's responsibility. She calls the "lucky gift" Mugisa, and, indeed, the animal turns out to be a wonderful boon for the family. Other villages seek her milk and are able to pay for it. The sale of the milk allows Beatrice's mother to purchase books and a uniform to send her daughter to school. Mugisa gives birth to two kids, one of which is sold to help pay for a new house. Although the writing style is stilted in places, the authenticity of the story comes through. Lohstoeter's wonderfully engaging acrylic illustrations go a long way toward enlivening the text. The afterword by Hillary Rodham Clinton explains that the story is based on the experiences of a real Ugandan child whose life changed because of the efforts of the humanitarian efforts of The Heifer Project International. Teachers and librarians may want to use this attractive picture book as a jumping-off point for discussion of world cultures.-Barbara Buckley, Rockville Centre Public Library, NY Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.