Elizabeti's Doll

by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen

Other authorsChristy Hale (Illustrator)
Hardcover, 1998

Status

Check shelf

Call number

E B

Series

Publication

Scholastic Inc. (1998)

Description

When a young Tanzanian girl gets a new baby brother, she finds a rock, which she names Eva, and makes it her baby doll.

Local notes

2201-126

User reviews

LibraryThing member Ronneisha
This book is about a little girl name Elizabeti. Elizabeti has a new baby brother and she watches as her mother takes care of him. She see's all the nice things that her mom does and she wants to do it also. Since Elizabeti doesn't have a baby doll, to care for she finds a rock that she likes. She
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treats the rock as if it is her baby. Every thing that her mother does for the baby, she does it also with her rock. One day she couldn't find her rock and she became worried. Her family helped her look, but they didn't have any luck. Finally, she was about to do her duty which was to put the rice on the fire pit, and she spotted her rock. Her rock had no harm, it was just a little dusty.
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LibraryThing member conuly
bought this book for my little nieces, whom I watch during the week.

They love the book, mostly for personal reasons - I carry the baby, ELIZABETI carries her baby; our baby is Eva, THE DOLL is Eva - but I love the book just because it's a very sweet story.

It has simple enough wording, only a few
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sentences per two-page spread, that it can be read easily to a young child, only two years or so... and it has a deep enough story that it will be enjoyed by an older child as well.

There's only one part of the book that strikes me as strange, and that's at the very end. Elizabeti's mother thinks to herself that Elizabeti will be a good mother when she grows up... and then we're told that Eva (the doll/rock) thinks so too. The style of the book is so realistic that it's a strange note, because, of course, dolls and rocks don't think. But I can always edit or skip that line, so it's not a problem.
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LibraryThing member hannaharper
Summary:
Elizabeti's has a new baby brother and she wants a baby to take care of herself. She finds different things that could be like a doll but they didn't work until she found a rock. She loved the rock, fed the rock, carried the rock just like her mom did with her baby brother. In the end she
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was a good mother and she will be in one day her mom said.
Personal Reaction:
This book was really cute. It shows love and compassion from the little girl in the book. Many children these days don't get to see what love, caring, and kindness means and this book is a great example of that. I also like that it teaches a few things about the African culture through this book
Classroom Ideas:
1. I would read this book to my class around Mother's Day because it talks about being a "mom."
2. I would have my class find things that they could make or use as a "doll" like a rock or a paper cut out doll
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LibraryThing member MadalynN
This book was about a little girl, Elizabei, who had a little brother, Obedi. She watched her mother bathe, feed, and love on him. She wanted a baby of her but since she did not have a doll she used a rock instead. She treated the rock like her mother treated Obedi. She put her rock down at one
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point and when she came back to get her, she was gone. Elizabeti was so sad so her sister and mom tried to give her a new rock. She did not want a new rock. She went in to help her sister cook and found it in the cooking circle of rocks. Her mom came over, helped her pull her out, and Elizabeti was so happy. Her mom was so proud of her and told her that she would be a great mother. Eva, her rock, thought so too.

As a child, I used to love playing dolls. I also remember loosing my favorite doll and would not play with another one because she was so special to me. I also remember acting like Elizabeti and pretending to be their mommy. I still have a few years until I plan on motherhood but I cannot wait until I am a mommy.

Write a journal entry about siblings. If they do not have any then they would write about if they did. Another activity would be to bring in pictures and make family collages.
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LibraryThing member MDees
Elizabeti’s Doll is set in Africa. Elizabeti’s mother has a new baby and she wants a baby to take care of, too. Since she has no doll, she finds a rock and names it Eva. The story gives a glimpse of Elizabeti’s everyday life, how they cook, and wash among other things. When her Eva, her
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rock-baby is lost, Elizabeti is very upset. Once Eva is returned, Elizabeti is just as happy as if it were a prized toy.

This is an excellent story. I love how it shows the everyday life of a little girl with a loving family who lives in Africa. The contrast between her life and a little girl in the United States is hard to explain to children. This book stirs my heart and I love looking at the pictures of Elizabeti and seeing her emotion about her doll.

I would use this story to talk to my students about the differences in other countries. Poverty is a real issue and to “see” the story of a little girl who creates her own doll widens the students’ appreciation for their opportunities. I would also use this story at Thanksgiving time. I would teach about thankfulness for what you have and not to be greedy for what you do not have.
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LibraryThing member aMylp85
This story is about a little girl named Elizabeti in Africa, that has a baby brother named Obedi. She watched her mother take care of Obedi and so she wanted to take care of her own baby. She didn't have a doll so after trying a stick she finds a rock that works perfectly as a doll. She names it
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Eva. She takes care of her in the same ways her mother takes care of Obedi. She has a very well behaved baby. One day Elizabeti looses Eva. People try to replace her, but none of them are her baby. Then that night when they are making dinner she notices that one of the rocks under the fire is her baby. They save her and Elizabeti cleans her up.

I liked this book, I liked the way Elizabeti took care of her baby. She really valued that rock. I liked the way she would compare her baby to her brother. He had a messy diaper, but her baby was very clean, things like that.

You could use this book to discuss the things we have here in America that they don't necessarilly have in other countries. Also to talk about taking care of things that are special to you.
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LibraryThing member Jessica24
Upon arrival of her new baby brother named Obedi, Elizabeti wanted a baby of her own. She found a rock and named it Eva. She saw her mother take care of the baby, so she began to bathe, burp and change Eva as well. After placing Eva down with several other rocks, Eva was lost. As Elizabeti was
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boiling some water, she found Eva and cleaned her and found she was not hurt. Her mother told her she will make a fine mother one day.

My personal reaction was that this was a great family book. A lot of kids like to play like they are mothers to objects when they are young, so this would be a great book to relate to children.I really enjoyed this book because it was a very touching story of a mother and a daughter.

In the classroom, i would create a chart of those who have little brothers and sisters that are younger with them. I would also make a game where the children would have bags of sugar and they could dress, and change, and burp them like babies.
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LibraryThing member sfarley2410
This book is about a little girl named Elizabeti and her mom just had a baby. Elizabeti wants her own baby too, so she goes and tries to find her own baby doll. Elizabeti finds a stick but it’s to pokey. Then she finds a rock and it’s perfect for a baby doll. Elizabeti does everything just like
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her mother from feeding, changing, bathing and burping. One day Elizabeti had to carry water, so she sat Eva her baby doll by some other rocks so she wouldn’t get lonely. When she returned Eva was gone and Elizabeti was very sad. So she told her mother, and her mother tried to find another rock, but none of them were the same. During supper one night, while making the rice she noticed a rock that looked just like Eva. Actually the rock was Eva, so Elizabeti calls her mother to help her get Elizabeti out of the fire. Elizabeti finally has Eva back and is super excited.

Little kids can relate to this because, most children have some kind of favorite toy they can’t go anywhere without. If the toy gets lost or broken, it like the whole world is over.

In the classroom, the children could all bring their favorite toy to class and then tell the class why it’s their favorite toy. The children could also just draw their favorite toy.
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LibraryThing member aduckwiler
Summary: This book is about Elizabeti wanting to have a baby to take care of like her mom takes care of her baby brother. The story tells about Elizabeti's doll and how she created it and cared for it.

Personal Reaction: This book made me think of a school that I have recently volunteered at. The
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kids in that school have to make do with what they have and this story talks about that. It made me realize that providing a child with ev erything they could ever want no matter how simple isn't always the way to go. That sometimes the best thing you can give a child is a good imagination and the opportunity to use it. This book made me sad but it also made me open my eyes in many ways.

Classroom Extention:
1) I could have the students to write about a want that they have had and how they would have responded if they were unable to have it.
2) We could write about or have a classroom discussion on responsibilities that the students have at school and/or at home.
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LibraryThing member reginafwatkins
summary: Elizabeti was imitating her mother and loved her doll. Although it was a rock, she experienced the same maternal emotions from the lose of a child.

personal: It is unimaginable to lose a child. Eliabeti had a great support system.

classsroom: in a discussion group
1 ask the children how they
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would feel if they lost something that they loved.
2 write how they would feel if they found it.
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LibraryThing member shelbyweryavah
This book is about a young girl who doesn't have a doll. She chooses a rock to be her doll. She treats her "doll" just like her mama treats her baby brother; with loving care.

This story shows how children in other countries are not as fortunate as the children in the U.S., having a million toys
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and a doll for every day of the week.

We would talk about the children from other countries that probably have never had a toy or a doll in their life. I would try to have each child donate a toy so we can send the toys to children in one of the less fortunate countries.
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LibraryThing member ashleywoody
Summary:
This is a story about a young girl, Elizabetti, who is from Africa and uses her imagination to pick up a rock to play with as her new babydoll. Her mother just gave birth to a baby boy, so Elizabetti claims the rock, Eva, as her own baby doll. She takes care of it like a real baby, until it
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accidently ends up in the firepit, but all is made well again when she cleans Eva back up and takes care of her again.

Personal Reaction:
I thought this book was cute to read to maybe a group of girls. I don’t think boys will really find it that exciting and interesting since it’s a story about a little girl and her rock doll. But, I thought the story was cute. It is a good insight and reason to open a small study into African culture in the classroom.

Extension Ideas:
1) Go into a small lesson on African culture and use the book to talk about the African culture.
2) Have the class go outside and pick out their own rock doll. Then have them come back in the classroom and present their new rock doll to the class.
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LibraryThing member KaseyPlumbtree
Summary:
This book is a story from Africa, and children will learn how different it is there compared to here. Elizabeti doesn’t have a baby doll to play with so she finds a rock. She takes this rock and turns it into her very own special baby doll. She introduces it to her friend and the friend
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laughs at first but then decides she also wants a baby doll so she finds a rock and also makes her own baby doll. This book is great at experiencing the imagination of a child.
Personal Reaction:
This book is great it helps teach younger children how different it is here compared to Africa and just how fortunate we are. I love this book and love how Elizabeti has such a great imagination and can take a rock and turn it into a beautiful baby doll that she loves and plays with every day.
Classroom extension ideas:
Let the children in the class go outside and pick out their own rock and turn it into their baby doll experience playing and fun like Elizabeti did. Teach a small simple lesson on how other places are different then where we live.
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LibraryThing member TaylorHutton
Summary:
Elizabetti finds a "doll" in the form of a rock. She names the doll Eva. Elizabetti treats Eva as any other little girl would treat a doll, and mothers the Eva. When Eva goes missing Elizabetti is very upset, but Eva is soon found and all is right with the world again.

Personal Reaction:
This
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is a great insight into the lives of children in Africa. It really shows what it's like to not have what we have been spoiled with in America. It also shows the ability of the imagination.

Classroom Extension:
1. Have them make a "pet rock"
2. This is a good time to study the African culture.
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LibraryThing member ChristyFitch
Summary:
This story is about a child that lives in Africa. She doesn't have a baby doll. She finds a rock and pretends it is her baby doll. She took wonderful care of her "doll". One day she has to go to get water for her family. She accidentaly leaves her "doll" at the well. She is extremely upset
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about her lost "doll". Another day Elizabeti is put in charge of keeping the fire hot for their dinner. She goes out to where the pot of rice is cooking for their dinner and finds her "doll" around the firepit. With help from her mother she gets the "doll" back. She is so happy!

Personal Reaction:
This book is great! It teaches about different cultures. It teaches a great leson to us all, even though we might not have everything we want we should find the best in what we do have.

Classroom Extension Ideas:
1. This book can be part of a lesson on different cultures.

2. The book can be used to spark a discussion on what chores the students have at home and how those responsiblities differ from those of children in other countries.
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LibraryThing member TaylorSchettler
Summary: This book is about a daughter watching her mother take care of a new baby and decided she wanted a baby too. She did not have a doll so she found a rock. She took care of the rock and loved it like a real doll. She later lost it and was very upset. When she went to help her sister cook she
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found "Eva" her rock baby being used to heat the meal. Her mom helped her get Eva back and they were very happy she was found.

Personal: I love this story. It shows a girl making the best with what she has. It shows the life of a girl from another country with less then what most kids have in America.

Class Extension: This book could be read aloud to a class that may have trouble with sharing toys or playing together. This book would help show how children should share what they have and be thankful for what they have when other children may not be as fortunate.

This story could be used to along with a craft where kids are able to decorate rocks and give them names. This could help the students keep in touch with their imaginations.
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LibraryThing member Mandi20
Summary: A book about an African village girl who uses a rock for a baby doll because that is all hat she has. She loves and cares for the rock like her mother cares for her baby brother.

Personal Reaction: The book teaches the children how much they take for granted. They can see that money isn't
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everything.

Classroom Extension:
1. Students make a baby rocks to take care of.
2. Look up information about children in African villages.
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LibraryThing member richardgulick
Summary: Elizabeti has a new brother and want a baby of her own to care for. She finds a rock and she loves her rock, Eva. Elizabeti shows her "doll" to a friend, how then wants one of her own. She puts Eva down to do some choirs, when she returns for Eva she can't find her. Elizabeti is very
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worried and can;t find her for a long time. She is so relieved to final have her back.

Personal Reaction: This is a very sweet story and the illustration are beautiful.

Classroom Extensions: (1) Talk about the differences in toys around the world, and how excited Elizabeti is to have her rock. (2) Use this book in a study about Africa.
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LibraryThing member shellbierose
Summary:
This book is about a little girl named Elizabeti who has a new baby brother. She sees the way her mother takes care of her baby brother, and wants to take care of a baby too. Elizabeti goes outside and finds a stick, but when she picks it up to hug it, it poked her. Then Elizabeti picks up
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a rock. It was just the right size, and it didn't poke Elizabeti when she hugged it. She kissed her rock and named it Eva. She bathed Eva, she fed Eva, she changed Eva's diaper, and she tied Eva onto her back with a kanga. Elizabeti went to visit her friend, Rahaili. Rahaili laughed when she saw the rock, but then decided that she needed a rock too, so she named it Malucey. Elizabeti went home, and had to go get water from the village well. She took Eva out of her kanga and laid her by some other rocks so she wouldn't be lonely. Elizabeti went to get the water. When she returned, she took the water to her sister. Elizabeti went outside to get Eva, but Eva was gone. Elizabeti couldn't find Eva anywhere. Elizabeti was very upset. It was Elizabeti's job to put the pot of rice on the fire pit which was made out of three large stones. Elizabeti saw the stones and immediately saw Eva! She got Eva out from under the pot and cleaned her up. Elizabeti was so happy to have her Eva back.

Personal Reaction:
I thought that this was a really cute book. I read it to my three year old, and she loved it.

Classroom Extension Ideas:
1. In my classroom, I could use this book to teach my students that its okay to pretend.
2. In my classroom, I could use this book to show my students that even if their parents have a new baby, they can help them out with the baby.
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LibraryThing member JenniferSaville
When Elizabeti's baby brother is born, she decides that she wants a "baby" too. She finds a rock to use as a doll, and names it Eva. Elizabeti takes care of Eva just like Mama takes care of Obedi: she feeds her, changes her diaper, and even sings her lullabyes.

A great story that a lot of kids will
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be able to relate to. It also wonderfully integrates aspects of the African culture through the illustrations and the characters' actions.

Classroom Extensions:
1. Compare/contrast Elizabeti's doll with their own toys.
2. Go outside a pick an object from nature to be their own Eva.
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LibraryThing member epoche
In this book Elizabeti , a Tanzanian girl, decides she wants a doll to take care of while her mom takes care of her new baby brother. She couldn't find a doll so she used a rock as her doll. Everything mama does to new baby, Elizabeti does to her rock. One day she loses her rock and her mom tries
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to give her a new rock, but it's just not the same. Throughout the book the little girl is responsible for going fetch water and they cook on top of a burning fire. One night while cooking over fire pit Elizabeti notices one of the rocks is her baby doll. Someone accidently took her doll to make a fire pit. That night she sung her baby a lullaby. I recommend this book for a anyone who is expecting a baby in their family. This book is good for students learning about other parts of the world. It takes place in Africa and many of the pictures and jobs they do show the culture.
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LibraryThing member janperrotti
This story is about a little Tanzanian girl wanting a doll to take care of. After watching her mother, Elizabeti decides to make her own doll to care for just like her mother cares for her new sibling.
LibraryThing member quanhtran
Elizabeti likes a doll. when she saw her mom take care her brother, she decided to make a doll for herself. And she made a doll by the rock. She likes them.
Age group 3-4
Pierce college library
LibraryThing member Shekina.Plaskett
Elizabeti had a new baby brother, and watched her mother care for her baby brother. She wanted to take care of her own baby, but didn't have a doll.
LibraryThing member goodstories
A charming introduction to village life in Tanzania. I used these books with my daughter's first grade class because they did a unit on Kenya. The kids really got into the stories. What's really nice is that while to adult eyes Elizabeti's world might look deprived, the kids just took it in stride,
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enjoying the peek into another world. I think this is achieved through the excellent artwork. Although you could read this one-on-one to a younger child, it's really best for school age children who have some understanding of geography. Grades 1-3.
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Awards

Language

Original language

English

Physical description

10 inches

ISBN

1584300817 / 9781584300816

Barcode

640
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