This is the story of a little girl with big dreams.
All the girl ever wanted was an education. But in Rhodesia, education for girls was nearly impossible.
So she taught herself to read and write with her brother’s schoolbooks and to count while watching cattle graze.
When the girl became a young wife and mother, she wrote her goals on a scrap of paper and buried them in a can—an ancient ritual that reminded her that she couldn’t give up on her dreams.
She dreamed of going to America and earning one degree; then a second, even higher; and a third, the highest. And she hoped to bring education to all the girls and boys of her village.
Would her dreams ever come true?
Illustrated with Jan Spivey Gilchrist’s graceful watercolors, Dr. Tererai Trent’s true story of perseverance is sure to inspire readers of all ages.
Author
Tererai Trent
Dr. Tererai Trent grew up in a rural village in Rhodesia, a region now known as Zimbabwe. She is a scholar and humanitarian who travels all over the world to speak about the importance of a quality education. In 2011, she started a foundation to bring educational opportunities to children growing up in her hometown. Tererai now splits her time between central California and Zimbabwe. To find out more about her life and her foundation, Tererai Trent International, please visit www.tt-international.org/.
Learn More about Tererai TrentIllustrator
Jan Spivey Gilchrist
Jan Spivey Gilchrist has illustrated children’s books for over a quarter of a century. She illustrated the Coretta Scott King Award Book Nathaniel Talking and the Coretta Scott King Honor Book Night on Neighborhood Street, both by Eloise Greenfield. In 2000, she was inducted to the International Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent. Jan lives with her husband in a suburb of Chicago. See more of her work at janspiveygilchrist.com.
Learn More about Jan Spivey Gilchrist