Book Reviews:
Elizabeti's Doll Mama
Elizabeti Elizabeti's School
Babu's Song
We'll Paint The Octopus Red The
Best Worst Brother
Elizabeti's Doll
“Elizabeti doesn’t have a doll and yet she wants to take care
of a baby all her own, just like Mama takes care of the new baby. So she
finds a rock, kisses it, and names it Eva. Like her friend Rahaili, readers
may at first laugh at such an idea, but they will soon be won over. The
text is original, clever, and consistent in its respectful treatment of
Elizabeti’s notion. As the rock is compared to the real infant, it
actually takes on a personality so that when it’s lost, having been
mistakenly used for the fire pit, it’s clear that no other rock can
take its place. Once found, Eva is quickly cleaned off, hugged, and soothed
with a lullaby. This story takes place in Tanzania, and lifestyle differences,
such as how a baby is carried in a kanga cloth and the way that food is
cooked in a separate hut, are an integral and unobtrusive part of the
text. The mixed-media illustrations are intimate and remain focused on
the girl and her family while also giving a sense of place. Bright cloths
and patterned dresses add a touch of color to the splattered backgrounds
painted in dry desert tones. This book is a splendid celebration of life
and the power of a child’s imagination.” –
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
“Charmed by her new baby brother, Elizabeti decides that she wants
a baby of her own; she picks up a smooth rock, names it Eva.. [T]he illustrations
reflect the story’s simplicity; accompanied by an attentive hen,
Elizabeti follows her indulgent mother about, mimicking each nurturing
activity. The object of Elizabeti’s affection may be peculiar, but
the love itself is real..Stuve-Bodeen’s debut is quirky but believable,
lightly dusted with cultural detail, and features universal emotions in
an unusual setting.” – KIRKUS
REVIEWS
Mama Elizabeti
"Stuve-Bodeen builds on the poignant themes of ELIZABETI'S
DOLL, while giving readers an expanded view of life in this African
village. The child's day is filled with sweeping, washing, and picking
rocks from the rice. She must also look after her young brother, as Mama
has a new baby who needs care. Securing Obedi to her back with a kanga,
Elizabeti confidently starts out on her way to the village well. However,
Obedi is a squirmer, he's mischievous, plus he's heavy. Finally, Elizabeti
drops her water jug and slumps in despair. She sets the boy down and quickly
fetches the water. When she returns, he's gone, but her fears turn to
joy as he takes his first toddling steps back to her and gives her a loud,
wet kiss. Getting home is no longer problem; Elizabeti simply ties the
kanga from her waist to his and lets him walk. While the child's challenges
as a caregiver are specific to her environment, the frustrations she feels
are universal. Readers might see her life as a hardship, but no such emotion
is expressed. The illustrations bring this world alive. Hale perfectly
captures the spontaneity and totality of a toddler's love, and the intimacy
among family members is heartwarming and palpable. This is a loving, sensitive
book to be shared and cherished." – SCHOOL
LIBRARY JOURNAL
“[T]his sweet sequel to the wonderful, award-winning ELIZABETI'S
DOLL will hit a chord in any child who has had to care for a younger
sibling. . . . Hale again gives the Tanzanian village in which this is
set a dusty, open spareness, gracefully posing tall, brightly clad adults,
capturing Elizabeti's love and worry (never anger) with clearly drawn,
unexaggerated gestures and expressions. Though too young to talk, Obedi
comes across as an individual, too, with content, mischief, sadness, and
relief chasing each other across his mobile features. After supper, as
Mama cradles Flora, Elizabeti rocks Obedi to sleep in her arrns -- a peaceful
end to a trying, important day in her life.” –
KIRKUS REVIEWS
"This book shares with its predecessor a resolutely childlike point of
view and a matter-of-fact presentation of another culture (that of rural
Tanzania)." – THE HORN BOOK
Elizabeti's School
"Elizabeti is excited about her first day of school and her new clothes,
but when faced with the noisy, busy schoolyard, she becomes reticent.
At recess, with the encouragement of an older girl, she enjoys dancing,
and, back in the classroom, she easily masters the counting lesson. However,
once she is home, she is convinced that she doesn’t want to return
to class. This is the perfect story for sharing with young children, most
of whom will understand the girl’s bittersweet feelings. Her pride
and sense of accomplishment in learning are a good lead-in for discussing
the joy ad purpose of school. As in the other stories about Elizabeti,
her family life is rich in love and warmth, although it is apparent that
the family is very poor. The predominantly watercolor and mixed-media
illustrations help convey all the texture of family life in a Tanzanian
village, just as they did in ELIZBETI'S DOLL and MAMA ELIZABETI." -SCHOOL
LIBRARY JOURNAL
"In the beginning there was ELIZABETI'S DOLL (1998), then MAMA ELIZABETI
(2000). Now, Stuve-Bodeen and Hale team up for a third installment in
the series set in Tanzania. In this addition, Elizabeti is excited to
start school. Throughout, Stuve-Bodeen distills the essence of the school
experience, perfectly capturing a child’s emotional state and confirming
the universality of first-day jitters. Accented with lively African-inspired
paper, Hale’s illustrations contain the texture of Tanzania. Together,
the talented team offers up another winning peek at a life that’s
different but the same." – KIRKUS REVIEWS
"Although she enjoys her first day at school, Elizabeti misses her family
and wonders if it wouldn’t be better to stay home. Beautiful illustrations
accompany the third story in a wonderful series set in Tanzania." –
BANK STREET BOOKSTORE
"[K]ids starting school will relate to Elizabeti's nervousness and her
excitement. Stuve-Bodeen, a Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania in the 1980s,
gets the local details right: the simple school uniforms, the playground
games, the occasional Swahili words. Hale's light-filled collage illustrations
combine watercolor and cut paper to create a strong sense of a happy kid
in the embrace of a nurturing family that helps her to take this big step
on her own." –BOOKLIST
"Elizabeti, the little girl with the rock doll and the demanding but affectionate
little brother, is going to school for the first time. As in the previous
books, Stuve-Bodeen tells a story at once universal and specific, set
in a contemporary Tanzanian village. . . Details of the school day root
the story in its place and bring Elizabeti’s world to life. The book’s
message that home is "the best place to be" but that school has its uses,
too, will resonate with anxious new pupils everywhere. Some readers might
question Elizabeti’s unfamiliarity with the schoolyard games and
the numbers one through five, but young children will be too busy grabbing
Stuve-Bodeen’s reassuring lifeline to notice. –THE
HORN BOOK MAGAZINE
"A skillful mix of the familiar, the unfamiliar, and the downright idyllic,
this first-day story is told with uncommon clarity and just the right
amount of detail. The expressive, smiling faces of classmates, teachers,
and family add exuberance; the textures and shadows provided by collage
and watercolor add depth and clarity to the muted figures in the skillfully
composed illustrations. Youngsters in Elizabeti’s age group will
be more than willing to share her concerns about the home-to-school transition,
while those already familiar with Elizabeti’s adventures at home
will enjoy seeing her take this big step. –BULLETIN
OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS
Babu's Song
In this realistic tale of a young boy in Tanzania, Stuve-Bodeen,
a former Peace Corps volunteer, explores the relationship between Bernardi,
who wants nothing more than to attend school and get a real soccer ball,
and his grandfather, a wonderfully creative toymaker who has lost his
ability to speak. When Babu makes a special music box for the boy that
actually plays a song he often sang when he could, Bernardi sells it with
much regret to a tourist who offers him a large sum of money. The boy
longs to buy the soccer ball with his profit, but feels so guilty that
he gives the money to Babu. Wisely, Babu pays school tuition, buys a uniform
and makes a soccer ball out of plastic and string. Impressionistic watercolors
depict the houses, marketplaces, and people of Tanzania. . . warmly told.
– KIRKUS REVIEWS
Stuve-Bodeen skillfully avoids sprinkling too much sweetener on her nicely
paced story of wish fulfillment. Children will easily recognize Bernardi's
struggle between his own desires and pleasing his family, and Boyd makes
a striking picture-book debut with appealing, color-saturated watercolor
spreads that capture the contemporary village setting and the affection
between the boy and his grandfather. – BOOKLIST
The tale is told with economy of language but with heaps of feeling. The
characters come to life and their loving relationship and lean lifestyle
are described with dignity and respect. Boyd's impressionistic watercolors
capture the rich colors of the countryside and the market and effectively
convey the story's emotions. Babu's Song will resonate with a wide range
of readers. – SCHOOL
LIBRARY JOURNAL
"Stuve-Bodeen, a Peace Corps volunteer in the 1980s, is the award-winning
author of Elizabeti's Doll and its sequels, Mama Elizabeti and Elizabeti's
School. Babu's Song, written for ages 4-8, is an honest look into the
heart of the soul and the ties that bind us to those we love. Babu knows
the deepest desires of his grandson's heart, and Bernardi knows the value
of his grandfather's love. The actions each take to test and honor their
relationship with another, and the mistakes they make in the process,
drive Stuve-Bodeen's story in a direction that will spark reader empathy
for their struggle and the unexpected resolution. As Bernardi's remorse
is greeted with Babu's forgiveness and acceptance, a stronger bond forms
between them, giving way to a flood of loving expressions that will both
satisfy and surprise in the end. Boyd, an illustrator with a fine arts
degree, is the illustrator of LEE & LOW's Bebop Books imprint. Free
of hard lines and outlines, his easy-flowing watercolors give Babu's Song,
his first picture book, an emotional internsity. His artistic style captures
the sense of scene in this foreign land, generating a fluid energy and
movement scene after scene. – THE
MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
A Tanzanian boy realizes that the soccer ball he really really thinks
he wants does not compare with a gift from the heart made by his grandpa.
The story teaches important lessons about materialism and valuing family
relationships. – ESSENCE
magazine
Stuve-Bodeen addresses a number of issues of contemporary life in Tanzania.
As a Peace Corps volunteer, she had time to observe interactions between
generations and peers. Babu's Song deals with poverty, schooling, and
living with a mute grandfather. . . . Aaron Boyd's illustrations compliment
the text. Each illustration provides a vision of small town life. Together,
they document the interaction between elders and youth and tourists and
locals. Finally, they show the resourcefulness of this family. This book
is highly recommended. It gives the readers the opportunity to see life
through diverse eyes. In addition, it is a good example of a Tanzanian
grandfather's parenting skills. – MULTICULTURAL
REVIEW
The themes of economic challenges, family diversity, love and creativity
are woven into a beautiful story. – TEACHING
TOLERANCE magazine
We'll Paint The Octopus Red
"Ages 4-7. What starts as a regular new-baby story takes
an unexpected twist. The young redheaded narrator is at first displeased
with the idea of a new sibling but then has lots of ideas about what they
might do together. She will take the baby to her grandfather's farm and
feed the calves. Her father says they can do that when the baby is older.
She will teach the baby to paint. Her father says they can do that when
the baby is older. She will take the baby to Africa on a photo safari.
Her father says fine, but only if he can go, too. After the girl and her
father are finished talking, she says, "We'd thought of at least a million
things my new brother or sister could do with me." Then, Father comes
home with the news that baby Isaac has been born with Down syndrome. Her
father is upset, but as the girl asks her questions all over again, they
both see that although it may take a little longer and require more patience,
they can't find one of those million things that Isaac won't be able to
do with their help. The fine text gets right to a child's level of understanding,
and the positive messages of acceptance and helping may best be understood
by children this age. An appended question-and-answer spread, written
at a child's level, tells what Down syndrome is, why some babies have
it, and why parents may feel sad when the baby is born.
Ink-and-watercolor pictures, while not expertly executed, do exude a warm
feeling that matches the story. Although the book skirts some issues that
Isaac may face (e.g., intolerance, illness), this is a thoughtful, focused
book that will be of enormous help to families with Down syndrome children."
-- ALA BOOKLIST
"When young Emma learns she'll have a new sibling soon, she thinks of
all the activities she can do with the baby. But when her brother Isaac
is born with Down syndrome, her father explains that she can probably
do all of the activities she had planned, but that Isaac might require
more time, patience, and help to do them. Unremarkable illustrations accompany
the story, which focuses on portraying Isaac as a baby, rather than a
baby with Down syndrome. Information about Down syndrome is appended."
-- THE HORN BOOK
"This book is sensitively written for children ages 3-7. This book would
be an appropriate gift for a family with a new baby with Down syndrome
or to add to a collection of positive pictures about [Down syndrome] for
any young child to read." -- NADSNEWS,
November 1998
"Wonderfully written and illustrated book." -- The Federation for Children with Special Needs
"This book would be a nice addition to a child's library, at home or at school." -- NDSS UPDATE
Resources
http://usawrites4kids.drury.edu