Elizabeti's School

Publishers Weekly

Fans of Elizabeti's Doll and Mama Elizabeti will welcome the third title in the series, Elizabeti's School by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, illus. by Christy Hale. Elizabeti looks forward to her first day of school but, once she arrives, she wonders what her family is doing at home.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-Elizabeti is excited about her first day of school and her new clothes, but when faced with the noisy, busy schoolyard, she becomes reticent. A friend leads her into a game similar to jacks, and she is eager to try it. In the classroom, she has difficulty concentrating because of her homesickness. At recess, with the encouragement of an older girl, she enjoys dancing, and, back in the classroom, she easily masters the counting lesson. However, once she is home, she's convinced that she doesn't want to return to class. During the evening, Elizabeti so impresses her family with the knowledge and skills she's learned that she decides that although home is best, she will "-give school another try." This is the perfect story for sharing with young children, most of whom will understand the girl's bittersweet feelings. Her pride and sense of accomplishment in learning are a good lead-in for discussing the joy and purpose of school. As in the other stories about Elizabeti, her family life is rich in love and warmth, although it is apparent that the family is very poor. The predominantly watercolor and mixed-media illustrations help convey all the texture of family life in a Tanzanian village, just as they did in Elizabeti's Doll (1998) and Mama Elizabeti (2000, both Lee & Low).-Lynda Ritterman, Atco Elementary School, Waterford, NJ

Kirkus Reviews

In the beginning there was Elizabeti’s Doll (1998), then, Mama Elizabeti (2000). Now, Stuve-Bodeen and Hale team up for the third installment in the series set in Tanzania. In this addition, Elizabeti is excited to start school. Hale’s mixed-media illustrations picture the preparation: in the opening spread, Mama braids Elizabeti’s hair; a trio of vignettes shows the girl as she tests out her new uniform, twirling her skirt and touching her shoes ("No more bare feet! Elizabeti smiled. School must be a very special place"). But excitement soon leads to anxiety—and back again—as Elizabeti enters the schoolyard. At first Elizabeti pulls away from the action, relying on big sister Pendo for safe keeping; an invitation to a join a game of machaura—American children will recognize the game as a variation of jacks—increases her comfort level. When Elizabeti goes home, however, her enthusiasm wanes. After all, her own shoes are much more comfortable than school shoes, her dress is softer and Obedi the cat has given birth to kittens right under Elizabeti’s bed. It is this event that signals Elizabeti’s change of heart, for she has learned in school how to count to five and uses her newfound skill to count the kittens. Soon, she shows off her knowledge of the alphabet and challenges her mother to a game of machaura. It’s enough to make her realize school might not be so bad after all. Throughout, Stuve-Bodeen distills the essence of the school experience, perfectly capturing a child’s emotional state and confirming the universality of first-day jitters. Accented with lively African-inspired paper Hale’s illustrations contain the texture of Tanzania. Together, the talented team offers up anotherwinning peek at a life that’s different but the same. (Picture book. 4-7)