Thursday, May 12, 2016

Favorite Picture Books: Stuve-Bodeen's Elizabeti books

Elizabeti's Doll, Mama Elizabeti, and Elizabeti's School by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, and all illustrated by Christy Hale

We've been reading these books for years. We even own the first book, Elizabeti's Doll, thanks to a kind fellow member at PaperBackSwap.com. Elizabeti is a sweet girl in Tanzania who is first introduced when she selects a beautiful perfect rock to be her baby. She rocks her baby, feeds her, and comforts her. In the course of the day, she's misplaced, but discovered by an understanding sister and restored to her little mama.

Later, Elizabeti has a new baby sister and now must help care for her brother Obedi. It would be surprising to find such a young girl caring for her brother in America and she nearly loses him, but it all works out in the end. Life in Elizabeti's Tanzania is hard, but depicted beautifully.

In the third book, Elizabeti's School, Elizabeti goes to school for the first time. In all the important ways, it's just like a first day of school anywhere in the world, but set in Elizabeti's loving African family.

We love Elizabeti! I wish we could visit her, and so do my girls!