ALA Booklist (Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2001)

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.

Horn Book (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2001)

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.

Kirkus Reviews

<p>An organization that provides livestock to Third World families is the raison d'Aatre 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 Beatrice's whole family from malnutrition, and the profits they make from selling what's left pay to send Beatrice to school and eventually raise the family to an undreamed-of level of prosperity. McBrier's 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 Mugisa's milk would keep them all much healthier"). Lohstoeter's vibrant acrylics are as uneven as the text, sometimes charming (Mugisa's 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 Projecta"consider sending a contribution and saving your book budget for less freighted purchases. (Picture book. 4-8)</p>

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

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)

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.