Beatrice's Goat - by Page McBrier, Lori Lohstoeter (Illustrator), Hillary Rodham Clinton (Afterword)
T: Dad, Can you please publish an article about Beatrice? Dad: Beatrice? T: You know Beatrice? Dad: I know several characters by the name Beatrice; Which Beatrice are you talking about? T: What is the other Beatrice? Dad: Who? You mean who are the other characters named Beatrice? Some day soon you’ll read about one particular Beatrice– she was a character in a poetry book by an Italian poet - Dante. T: Not that Beatrice! I mean Beatrice from Africa. Dad: Of course I know about Beatrice from Uganda. T: Oh, great! Can you publish an article about her? Dad: I wouldn’t know what to write though. T: Do you know the story about her goat? Dad: Were did – you - hear her story? T: Mrs. C told us. She was very poor and wanted to go to school and her mother did not have money to send her to school. A family in America sent her a goat and she and her mother sold the milk that they got from the goat and her mother gave her the money to go to school. Dad: It isan amazing story. Did you know she, now, lives in the States? T: Serious? Dad: Yes. She lives in Massachusetts and, she goes to college there. T: Can we meet her? Dad: I don’t think so. She lives in Massachusetts. Do you know where Massachusetts is? T: In New York? Dad: Massachusetts is a state north of New York. T: Oh! Dad, How did they sell milk? Dad: They sold it to other families who needed milk. They lived in a small village; most everyone knows each other. That is how it is in small communities. People know each other. Plus, their goat reproduced and they had more goats and more milk. T: How does a goat reproduce? Dad: It gives birth to baby goats and their family becomes larger. So, they had more goats, more milk and more food and more money. T: How does a goat reproduce, dad? Dad: It’s a mammal. It gives birth to baby goats. Did you know baby goats are called kids? T: So sweet! Dad: Do you know what they call daddy goats? T: No. Dad: They call them billy Goats. T: What do they call mommy goats? Dad: What do you think? T: Lily goats? Dad: Good try. Try another. T: Mommy Goat? Dad: No; Nannies! They call them Nannies. T: Oh. Dad: What do you think you can learn from Beatrice’s story? T: That she was very poor and lived in a house made of mud and something and she wanted to go to school and learn. Dad: That’s right. She wanted to learn. If she did not want to learn no amount of milk or money would have made a difference in her life. T: Dad, Who gave her the goat? Dad: Did Mrs. C not tell you? T: I think she did. Dad: A charity organization. It’s called “Heifer Organization.” It’s a charity. T: You said that Dad: I don’t know much about this organization but they, sure are, doing a great job in helping people. T: Can we start a charity? Dad: Possibly! T: When? When are you going to start it dad? Dad: I’m going to need your help with that project. T: I love to help! Dad: I know you do! T: Dad, can you publish an article about Beatrice? Dad: I see what I can do.
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