Amani, a 6-year-old Palestinian girl, decides to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps and become a shepherd*. She will not be going to school but will be tutored* by members of the family.

Author Anne Laurel Carter does an excellent job of showing the tender relationship between Amani and her grandfather as well as the closeness of her large family.

The author shares interesting information on sheep raising, olive harvesting, Arab views of the roles of women, as well as wedding and death observances*.

To enable the reader to learn some Arabic and Hebrew words, Carter includes a glossary* with translations.

As the book progresses, it shows the pain and displacement to the family as a result of what the Israelis do. Israeli settlers move into the area where the family has lived for many years. They build roads that the Palestinians are forbidden to use. The families’ houses are demolished*, their olive trees are destroyed, Amani’s sheep are poisoned, her sheepdog is shot, and her brother and father are jailed*.

There is an American Jewish boy who is sympathetic*, however he refuses to stay in Israel and chooses to go back to New York to speak out against Israeli settlements.

This book would spark an interesting discussion on the conflict* in the Middle East, and could be a stepping stone to finding other books observing* the situation from the Israeli point of view.

The Chinese version of this book is available on dangdang.com.(SD-Agencies)