Katie Smith MilwayCritiques

Includes A Real Deo, about Benjamin Nzobonankira, who lost family members and had to flee to a refugee camp. There he made banana-leaf balls and eventually became the trainer of 520 coaches and 35,000 children. Also a map and descriptions of 10 websites, organizations and games that help kids from wartorn areas.

Picture book for older kids about conflict resolution and life in a refugee camp. Beautifully written and illustrated, with information on organizations from around the world who teach play/ negotiations to kids in the back, including several useful team building activities.

When Deo and his family are forced to flee their farm in Burundi, the young boy becomes separated from the others, and lost in the forest. Eventually, emaciated and exhausted, he makes his way to the Lukole refugee camp in nearby Tanzania. Here he finds shelter of sorts, but also strife, as he becomes the target of a group of bullies, led by the obnoxious Remy. Then one day a stranger with a soccer ball shows up at the camp, and organizes a game. Soon Deo and Remy realize that they have more in common than they thought, leading to the beginning of a friendship, and of better things for the whole camp...

Inspired by the real-life story of Benjamin Nzobonankira, a Burundi man whose life experiences are very similar to Deo's, author Katie Smith Milway spins a story of the potentially healing power of sport in The Banana-Leaf Ball: How Play Can Change the World. The man who comes to the camp to organize the soccer game is meant to represent the Right to Play activists who visited Lukole while Nzobonankira was there, and the story as a whole explores the idea of sport and games as a way to teach children to resolve conflict, take care of themselves, and develop both self-respect and respect for others. Included at the rear of the book are notes about Nzobonankira, who became a Right to Play coach as an adult, and a list of organizations worldwide that use sport and games to promote children's welfare.

This is the sixth title I have read from publisher Kids Can Press' Citizen Kid collection, which presents books that educate children about the world around them, and encourage them to be good global citizens, and I hope it will not be the last. I found the story itself engaging, the back matter fascinating, and the artwork from illustrator Shane W. Evans expressive and appealing. Recommended to young soccer lovers, and to picture-book readers looking for stories about refugees and/or the role of sport in making the world a better place.

American author Katie Smith Milway and Canadian illustrator Eugenie Fernandes, who have also collaborated on Cappuccina Goes to Town and Mimi's Village: And How Basic Health Care Transformed It, turn in this picture-book to the subject of microfinance. The story follows Kojo, a young Ashanti boy in Ghana who cannot afford to go to school, after the recent death of his father. When he and his mother are given a micro-loan by the village coop, and there is a little bit left after his mother buys a cart for the firewood she sells, Kojo buys one hen. From this small beginning, great things come, as Kojo slowly builds up his flock, sells his surplus eggs, and gains enough money to return to school. From there he studies hard, eventually winning a scholarship, and going on to study agriculture. Eventually, he starts a farm and business of his own, going on to great success, and having a beneficial effect on other impoverished people, and on his country...

I've read a few books now about Heifer International - Jan West Schrock's Give a Goat and Page McBrier's Beatrice's Goat - an organization which seeks to address international poverty by distributing agricultural animals and training, but this is the first picture-book I have read about the microloan movement. Apparently, the story in One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference is based upon the experiences of real-life Ghanaian Kwabena Darko, whose story is given in the after matter, along with more information about microfinance organizations, and a glossary. I found the narrative here engaging, and thought that the way in which Milway used the traditional nursery rhyme, This is the House That Jack Built, as a storytelling template, was quite interesting. Great results certainly do come, sometimes, from small beginnings! The accompanying artwork here from Fernandes, done in acrylic paint, is bright and boldly colorful, grabbing and retaining the reader's attention. All in all, this was an informative and engaging tale, one I would recommend to picture-book readers looking for stories about poverty, and about the microfinance movement that is attempting to address that poverty, one microloan at a time.

For intermediate readers. Kojo asks for a loan to buy a chicken. With his loan he is able get a chicken, to sell eggs from the chicken, and use his resources wisely to make a profit and pay the loan. It depicts a good life lesson of learning to trade, use resources wisely, and work hard. It is a beautiful story that also includes important aspects of African culture, and a window to see into the life of poverty. At the end, it includes the true story of a man who sold things to pay for his schooling and help his family. It can give people in hard situations hope.

This is an inspiring novel about a little boy who uses a chicken to change his whole life. Because of the chicken, he is able to buy more chickens. Because of the chickens, he is able to save up and go back to school. Because of the chicken, he is able to attend college. Because of the chicken, he is able to buy a farm for his mother. Because of the chicken, he is able to get married and have a big family. Because of the chicken, he is able to help others start businesses. This book is great, but wordy so primary readers could follow along and so could intermediate.

This story, based on a true story, is readable by primary readers, but will also inspire intermediate level readers. It tells the story of Kojo, who borrows a loan to buy a hen, and then helps support his family, community, and country through his stewardship and good business from selling eggs. He is able to impact many others and inspire them to fulfill their dreams by lending money from his success.

Children who dream of entrepreneurship or who have experience raising animals may connect well with this story, as may children from an African culture, as the story is set in Ghana.

One Hen is a book of hope. When children read this, I think they will see the importance of saving and investing money. I also think that they will understand how a business can grow from one small idea. Kojo and his family are poor. When his mom gets her turn for the loan, he gets to have some and buys one hen. When he makes money off its eggs, he buys another hen and so forth. He ends up with 25 hens and making money for his family. He is able to go back to school and studies agriculture. When he gets older, he starts his own farm. This farm grows to be the largest in Ghana and contributes to the economy significantly. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is great for children.
This story can teach children how businesses contribute to a country's economy. Kojo's farm gave people a place to work, he payed taxes which helped to build roads. His employees payed taxes because they were making money. All of this started with one little boy and one little chicken. That makes the story reachable to students.

This was a really good book about children in refugee camps and how they came to play together by making a soccer ball out of banana-leaves. Shane Evans does a great job illustrating this true story about unlikey friendships and fun.

This is a great choice for the higher grades. This book teaches that one can grow a garden that can provide food for a family. In the book we are introduced into a family from Honduras who has little o eat and the garden becomes their solution.

Inspired by true events, One Hen tells the story of Kojo, After his father died, Kojo had to quit school to help his mother collect firewood to sell at the market. When his mother receives a loan from some village families, she gives a little money to her son. With this tiny loan, Kojo buys a hen. This story tells how from one hen, Kojo built the largest poultry farm in the region.

Kojo's story is inspired by the life of Kwabena Darko, who as a boy started a tiny poultry farm just like Kojo's, which later grew to be the largest in Ghana, and one of the largest in west Africa. Kwabena also started a trust that gives out small loans to people who cannot get a loan from a bank. The final pages of One Hen explain the microloan system and include a list of relevant organizations for children to explore.

This is the true story of how one family in Honduras changed from hungry and not having enough food, to having enough to go around. This book explains the importance of gardens and growing food around the world.

I am slightly biased because soccer is my favorite sport. I love this book! It is the story of a refugee boy who knows how to make soccer balls from banana leafs. While he is in a refugee camp, a coach comes along to teach the refugee kids how to play soccer and how to get along. There are coaches doing this in the real world and the book ends by telling how much was based on a true story and it lists organizations that do this and some games that teach cooperation and getting to know each other.

This book shows how giving just one small think so someone in need can make a big difference.

Summary:
This book is about a boy in Africa.He got a piece of loan and bought a hen then the hen made some chickens. In this way, he got more and more eggs and chickens and finally he got enough money to go to the school. That piece of loan changed his whole life.

Genre:
It's a contemporary fiction since it tells the story in a real life time in Africa but although All the characters, plots can happen in the real life the characters and that story about the loan changed the boys life was created by the author.

Critiques:
1. The images of this book are done in very nice paints,showing the view of Africa.
2. The words and the theme of this story is clear for readers to understand. Good logic in plots.
3. The story of the boy may encourage students to think how to make a small thing play the biggest role by knowledge.

Comments on use
Good for teachers to read aloud on 3th or higher grade.

This story really shows how far one can go because of hard work and perseverance. It shows how a single person can help to make their community a better place. This would be a great addition to lessons on community businesses and economics.

Summary: This book is about a young man in an African village who uses what little money he has to buy a hen. He uses the hen to sell eggs and eventually has enough money to buy more hens. He begins to sell more and more eggs until he gets an education. He then uses his new knowledge on marketing to take a loan to buy a farm and sell his own eggs from all of the hens he has. He ends up attending college and giving back to his small village.

Personal reflection: This book is very beneficial in teaching concepts like loans and banks. It also includes many economical concepts that are very important for students to know, like paying back loans and giving back to your community. The values in this book also reflect determination and the importance of saving money and using it for secure plans, and generosity.

Class use: I could use this book in the classroom as an informational text on units about money and checking and banking. Loans are important in the real world so I think that is where my focus would lie for this book. I could use it in a text set on the importance of education and schooling as well.

This book is a biography based off of a true story of a boy named Kojo. When Kojo was young, his family received a loan to help improve the way they lived. With the loan that his family received, Kojo bought a hen. Kojo used this hen to collect eggs and sell the eggs, and by selling the eggs Kojo was able to buy more hens. Kojo became very interested in farming and with the money he was raising started going to school. Eventually he decided he wanted to be a farmer and that he needed to go to college. With the money that Kojo had been earning all along with his hens, he was about to go ot college and graduate and build chicken coops. To fill the chicken coops Kojo went to the bank and took out a loan to buy more chickens. Eventually all of the work Kojo did in the community helped stimulate Ghana's economy, and provided many people with jobs, and changed the entire country. This book was very touching and heartwarming.

This book is a biography of the life of a boy named Kojo. When Kojo was a young boy, his family got a loan to help improve their life. With this loan, Kojo bought a small hen. With that hen, he sold the eggs and collected money over time to the point where he owned 25 hens, and had enough money to go back to school. Once back in school Kojo learned about farming, and he was inspired. He wanted to build a chicken farm to raise more money, but first he needed to go to college. With the money that his mother and him raised with the hens, he earned enough money to go to college. After graduation, Kojo used all of his money to buy land and to build chicken coops. After the coops were built he realized that he needed 900 hens. He went to the bank and got a loan and bought 900 chickens. After years of hard work, he had changed the whole country of Ghana. This book showed that with a dream and hard work, anything is possible. I would read this to my students at the end of the year, or before testing. To give them motivation and to show them that school is important and that a lot of things can happen with a dream.

This is a story about a poor African family in a village in Ghana. They have an idea within the village to have each family promise to save a bit of money so that one family can borrow all the savings to buy something important. Kojo's family gets a turn and uses the money to buy a hen. He dreams about feeding his village with the eggs from the hen. Kojo begins to sell the eggs. He keeps buying hens with the money from his egg sales. Kojo then goes to school with the money he has made from the egg sales. Kojo takes out loans to go to college and eventually he builds his own farm, all with the money that he started with from selling the eggs. Kojo's farm is now the largest in Ghana. His business prospers and it prospers the whole country of Ghana. This book would be an example of realistic fiction because real events take place in this book that could happen in real life. He experiences college and builds his own business which are realistic events.

Response - I think this picture book does a wonderful job teaching the reader how we can take local action within our communities to make a positive difference. Also, this book is a great introduction to world hunger and the food scarcity that millions of people face around the world.

Curricular connection - read aloud; unit on rights and responsibilities

This is a beautiful and powerful biographical story of how one boy's loan starts a small business, and how it grows and grows to improve the lives of his family, his village, and his nation. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. It basically outlines why I want to get into education. I would love to use this book to teach about economics, entrepreneurship, the importance of education, and so many other social things. There are also areas for math discussions as his chicken farm is growing, room for predictions, and some room for cultural discussion about collectivist culture where everyone shares money like they did in the village, and why we don't use a system like that in America. Definitely geared for older students.

This is a book that I obviously wouldn't normally read, but I ended up doing so through work. The lesson and message are extremely positive, the art well done, and the vocabulary and real-world information will definitely help a child expand their knowledge a bit. This is a book that can definitely lead to a great deal of conversation, and as such serves as a great reading choice with a child when you are looking to be able to discuss what you've read together and the meaning behind it.