Module 11 : 14 Cows for America

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SUMMARY

This story is about Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah,from Africa, who goes to the United States to attend medical school. While he is in America, he experiences one of the most devastating events in United States history: September 11, 2001. He recounts his emotions and and mass chaos to his village back home. To his village, cows are sacred, and Kimeli then asks if their tribe can show support to America by blessing and dedicating cows.

APA REFERENCE

Deedy, C., & Naiyomah, W. (2009). 14 cows for America. Atlanta, Ga.: Peachtree.

IMPRESSIONS

This short story is written eloquently, and with a lot of emotion. At times, the reader can feel the pain he feels for the Americans. The illustrations are swift, light, and beautiful, as they exude the grandness of the sunrises and sunsets of the African sky.

PROFESSIONAL REVIEW
[Review of the book 14 Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy]. Kirkus Review retrieved 11/10/14 from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/carmen-agra-deedy/14-cows-for-america/
 

Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah is about to return home, to a small village in Kenya. He has been studying to become a doctor in the United States. Amid a joyous homecoming, the children in the village ask if he has brought any stories. He has only one; one that has “burned a hole in his heart.” Naiyomah was in New York City on September 11. In gentle yet piercing present-tense prose, storyteller Deedy introduces readers to a young Maasai scholar who wants nothing more than to help a nation heal. In Maasai tradition, cows are sacred, and Naiyomah asks the elders to bless his cow so he can offer it to grieving Americans. In an incredible show of compassion and strength, other villagers join him. Fourteen cows in all, from one tiny Kenyan village, prove that hope and friendship can cross all boundaries. Gonzalez’s saturated paintings, glowing with oranges, reds and browns, radiate a warmth that is matched only by the Maasai’s generosity. A stirring, heartwarming tale that made headlines when it happened—and is now, thankfully, preserved on the page for children. (afterword) (Informational picture book. 4-8)

LIBRARY USES
This book would be a great library short read, and to show how other countries support America. This can be read on September 11, to show a sense of hope and how far we have come.