In June of 2002, a very unusual ceremony begins in a far-flung village in western Kenya. An American diplomat is surrounded by hundreds of Maasai people. A gift is about to be bestowed on the American men, women, and children, and he is there to accept it. The gift is as unsought and unexpected as it is extraordinary.
A mere nine months have passed since the September 11 attacks, and hearts are raw. Tears flow freely from American and Maasai as these legendary warriors offer their gift to a grieving people half a world away.
Word of the gift will travel news wires around the globe. Many will be profoundly touched, but for Americans, this selfless gesture will have deeper meaning still. For a heartsick nation, the gift of fourteen cows emerges from the choking dust and darkness as a soft light of hope and friendship.
Featured in Volume II, Issue 2 of WOW Review.
- ISBN: 9781561454907
- Author: Deedy, Carmen Agra
- Illustrator: Gonzalez, Thomas
- Published: 2009 , Peachtree Publishers
- Themes: Friendship, Gifts, Grief, Sadness, Travel, Villages, warriors
- Descriptors: Africa, Kenya, Picture Book, Primary (ages 6-9), Realistic Fiction
- No. of pages: 36
Kemili arrives to his small Kenyan tribe, where he is welcomed with warm hugs and a celebration. As he shares his experiences about living in the U.S., the souls of the Maasi people are filled with grief and melancholy. To mend the American people’s traumatized hearts after a time of despair, helplessness, and chaos during the tragic September 11th devastation, the Maasi people offer a selfless and symbolic gift of generosity, 14 cows. Rendered in pastel, colored pencil, and airbrush, readers can use the illustrations to form a deeper understanding of the underlying message in the story. Deedy concludes this passionate story by exclaiming, “Because there is no nation so powerful it cannot be wounded, nor a people so small they cannot offer mighty comfort.”