Anna's Goat

by Janice Kulyk Keefer, Janet Wilson (Illustrator)

A moving statement about the refugee experience, told from a child's unique point of view.

Genres: Picture Books, World War II

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2001

About the author

She is a Canadian novelist and poet.

Born in Toronto, she studied literature at universities in England and France. She teaches literature and theatre in the graduate studies department at the University Of Guelph.

Of Ukrainian heritage, Janice often writes about the experiences of first-generation Canadian children of immigrants. Her sister is the Canadian artist, Karen Kulyk.

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was glad that I was able to use this with the small group of older kids I was teaching about goats. While this is too long for a regular storytime, it's a beautiful story, tender and moving, about a topic that is uncommon in literature for children. It made me tear up a little, and the kids were full of questions at the end, so it gets high marks.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. Jeez, this one made me tear up...it's about a little girl and her family during a war, and the goat that helps them survive with her milk. And then they have to leave the goat behind in the village and and and-- T_T But the girls grows up to become a happy artist, and she never forgets her goat. Too long to work for story time (illustration colors also more muted than I find usually holds the attention of a room full of 3 year olds), but good for one-on-one reading.

[Katrina Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a heartwarming story of a child how falls upon hard times during WWII. The special gift of a goat helps the family survive this difficult time. There are also some nice historical touches that give the reader a sense of the destruction and hope of rebuilding a future. This story was nicely done to engage young readers without too much details about the horrors of war.