14 Cows for America

Book Review: 14 Cows for America, by Carmen A. Deedy.

Part One:

Book Information:

Deedy, C.A. (2009). 14 cows for America. Atlanta, GA.: Peachtree Publishers.

Genre: Multicultural / Global Literature

Grade Level: 3-5; ages 7-11

Recommendations would include K-3rd grade students due to the simplicity of the words and font size choice. It is great for younger children since the pictures tell the story and perfect for third grade level students to read.

Part Two:  Response to the book: Predictions, thoughts about craft.

When I first saw the outside of this book and read the title, I had no idea what to really expect. The cover displays a gorgeous sky filled with a beautiful sunset. The title suggest the book could possibly be about… cows? The first page describes the location of the book taking place in Kenya. It then talks about a character (part of the Maasai tribe), and describes his life and culture. His name is Kimeli and he came to America on a scholarship to become a doctor. He happened to be in New York, on September 11, 2001, when the planes crashed through the World Trade Center. (At this point in the book, I wans’t expecting this tribe to be associated with this tragic situation so it actually caught me off guard.) The book then really caught my attention as I couldn’t wait to hear how this tribe sympathized for America.  It was the emotional connection that kept me intrigued.

The author informs the reader that cows are important to Maasai culture (cows = life), and when Kimeli finally saved enough to purchase a cow for his mother (as she has always wanted but could never afford), he decides to get the cow blessed and offer it to America for their loss (World Trade Center attack). Upon telling his tribe of the news and his plans, the tribe decides to present 14 cows to the United States Embassy. Both cultures, (America and the Maasai) make emotional connections and celebrate. Because of the connection between another culture and our own, I feel like this story suddenly had more meaning and became increasingly interesting. It made me want to learn more about the Maasai culture.

Part Three: Critique

This book had a wonderful story. I think it is a great story that helps us as a reader to make connections with this giving Maasai tribe. The images really help illustrate the culture that is described and provide a clear understanding of their environment, their clothing, and their daily lifestyles. The story was very warming and the images reflected true emotions. Between the big smiles, the droopy eyes, or the use of bright/dark colors, the images help make connections emotionally which capture the reader. The last page has a really close image of a young boy’s face, specifically drawing in on his eye. If you look even closer you will see the eye has it’s own picture, filled with red, white and blue colors. It almost look like another eye looking towards the left side of the page through those colors. I am not exactly sure what is going on here, but I know the artist is trying to show something. The words of the page suggest America as a powerful nation and the Maasai tribe as supporter. This book really helps capture some great emotions, not only with the images but the words written.

Part Four:  Lesson Plan / Activity (Grade: 4th)

Using the Common Core State Standards:

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean).

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grades 4–5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.4a Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.

Objective:

  • The student will be able to read grade level appropriate text.
  • The student will be able to work in groups while using the information in the book to define unknown vocabulary words.
  • The student will be able to present knowledge based from the book, and describe a character and his/her culture.

Vocabulary word recommendations list:

  • Supa-
  • Enkang-
  • Aakua-
  • Enkarus-
  • Nomadic-
  • Dung-
  • Provoked-
  • Embassy-
  • Diplomat-
  • Jounces-
  • Marvel-
  • Sacred Knoll-

Lesson outline: 

  • Because of the amount of different/challenging words in this book, there are a few different options for lesson ideas. You could A) have students actually look up these words using a dictionary or the internet (to also integrate technology), or you could B) have students infer the their thoughts and ideas about the definitions using the book’s content. Either option, I would put the students into groups and let them write some basic facts and and definitions using the book.

  • Students in groups will write down several important facts about a character. They can describe some of the following:  Where is the character from? What culture do they belong to? What types of rituals do they hold? What styles of clothes/accessories do they wear? What is important to them? What type of lifestyle do they live, and what are some of their daily activities? What is this character trying to share with you (what is the main topic of the story)?

  • Once students have their definitions and supporting details of their character, they will create their character (with their group) using materials that are available to them. Portray the way they believe this tribe/character should look.

  • Once all the information is obtained and their characters are created, students will present the information in their groups.

Discussion questions:

  • Who is telling the story? What did they want to share?

  • Why did they want to help America?

  • How is this culture different from your own? Clothing? Daily activities/lifestyle?

  • Do you practice any rituals? What types of rituals are practiced in America?

*Additional activities: Have the students create a map that displays the location of this tribe. They could also be asked to draw and color/paint/create artwork displaying this culture and home town.

 

Links to outside resources: