The Girl Who Buried Her Dreams in a Can: A True Story
by Tererai Trent (Author) Jan Spivey Gilchrist (Illustrator)
An inspirational picture book autobiography from Oprah Winfrey's "All-Time Favorite Guest"
This is the story of a little girl with big dreams.
All the girl ever wanted was an education. But in Rhodesia, education for girls was nearly impossible.
So she taught herself to read and write with her brother's schoolbooks and to count while watching cattle graze.
When the girl became a young wife and mother, she wrote her goals on a scrap of paper and buried them in a can--an ancient ritual that reminded her that she couldn't give up on her dreams.
She dreamed of going to America and earning one degree; then a second, even higher; and a third, the highest. And she hoped to bring education to all the girls and boys of her village.
Would her dreams ever come true?
Illustrated with Jan Spivey Gilchrist's graceful watercolors, Dr. Tererai Trent's true story of perseverance is sure to inspire readers of all ages.
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School Library Journal
K-Gr 3--Trent, who is now changing lives by advocating for the importance of literacy and education, tells the story of her childhood in Zimbabwe in this eye-catching picture book. Though girls in her village were prevented from attending school because they were needed to cook, clean, and fetch water, as a child, Trent (unnamed in the story) thirsted for an education. Her grandmother acknowledged the need for "a young woman to be our eyes, to read and write for us," and her brother secretly taught her to read and write. The text sketches out traditional life through small details that are lyrically described. Soft watercolor paintings across spreads make Shona village life accessible enough for both group and individual use, depicting the author reading to her grazing cattle, attending school with her brother, and growing up and sending her own children to school. Eventually, with the support of the entire village, Trent achieved her dream of traveling to America, successfully earning multiple degrees, and establishing a foundation to improve the lives of children in rural Africa. In her author's note, Trent explains how school and books showed her another world, "a magical place where malnutrition and violence were not part of daily reality."Compare and contrast with Suneby Razia's Ray of Hope: One Girl's Dream of an Education (Kids Can, 2013) and Jeanette Winter's Malala, a Brave Girl from Pakistan/Iqbal, a Brave Boy from Pakistan: Two Stories of Bravery (S.&S., 2014) for other picture books that address the struggle to ensure that girls receive an education. VERDICT A wonderful selection for discussing the importance of education.--Toby Rajput, National Louis University, Skokie, IL
Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
JNF050000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | School & Education
JNF038010 - Juvenile Nonfiction | People & Places | Africa
JNF023000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Girls & Women
Teachers
Zimbabwe
Educators
Trent, Tererai
