Representation: Ethiopian Black main character
Trigger warnings: Adoption
Score: Six points out of ten.

Not the white saviours! Why did the white people have to save the Black person and why did her biological mother give her up for adoption? So problematic. Also why did Alemitu's name change to Eva and then she forgets her biological mother, her former name was perfectly fine. It rubs me the wrong way when a white person writes a book with a Black character, and as with other books like this, it would've been better if a person who lived a similar experience to Alemitu told the story rather than someone who never did. ( )

The lack of access to clean water is the dilemma that determines the future of a young Ethiopian girl as she travels from village, to orphanage, to the United States where she becomes part of a multiracial family. Author’s Note.

A very sweet and touching story. I love the pictures to go along with the story. The story opened my eyes to a world I am not too familiar with. Although I cant personally relate to the story, after reading this story I feel as if I have a snapshot of what it looks like to go through a life like the one Eva goes through. And thats all thanks to the format of the text and the pictures. ( )

I thought this was a great book! The first reason why I liked this book was because it was bilingual. Although the entire book wasn’t translated, certain sentences and words were. For example, the book stated, “I lived with my emaye, or mama.” The book also stated “Emaye kissed me and told me that she loved me forever, ‘Enwatdeshahlehu, set ligj’.” Another reason why I liked this book was because the complicated words in Alemitu’s language were sounded out for me. For example, the book stated, “When I was Alemitu (ah-le-mee-too), my name meant world.” I liked this book because it shows sacrifice. It broke my heart when Emaye gave Alemitu up for adoption. But, it comforted me that Emaye loved Alemitu and would make any sacrifice so that her daughter’s life could be better, without hunger and struggle. In America, Alemitu's new name is Eva, meaning life. Another reason I like this book is because Eva stays true to herself and appreciates everything, I love her as a character. For example, Eva says, "Every morning when I get up, I take a drink of water that is always cold and clean. I drink every last drop." Eva also says, "Hunger never roars in my belly anymore." Eva says, "Here, I never have to walk very far, but my feet carry me to new places. My bundle of wood has been replaced with a backpack filled with books and other treasures.” Eva will never forget her home or her Emaye's words: water connects us all. These statements show that Eva appreciates everything she has in America. Another reason why I like this book is because the illustrations follow the plot. When Alemitu leaves her Emaye, you can see how upset they both are in the illustrations. You can see Eva walking into school with her new clothes and backpack. You can see Eva looking into the puddle and thinking about her Emaye. You can even see "the other side (America)" when Alemitu is looking into the water in Ethiopia. The last and most important reason why I like this book is because it pushes readers to think about tough issues. This can be a real-life scenario and it shows the truth about how other countries struggle. I felt very sorry for Emaye and Alemitu when I was reading this book. I would hate to live like that. This book really broadened my perspective on how lucky we are in America. Although this is a fiction book, it shows problems that are possible in today's world. It takes strong people to get through hard times; Eva and her Emaye were two strong people. Overall, I think the main message of this book was that there are problems in the world. People struggle and have to sacrifice things that they love so that they can have what they need. Value what you have and always stay true to yourself. ( )

I really enjoyed reading this book. I initially began to like this book because of its illustrations. I became interested in learning about the main character, Alemitu and her mother, Emaye, and the way they live. The book pushes the reader to think about the struggles they go through, like having to travel many miles just to get water. When Alemitu's mother is able to give her daughter a chance at a better life, she decides to send her to America to live with a different family in hopes of better opportunities. The second half of the book shows the readers Alemitu's new life and the new name she is given, Eva. She realizes that many things in her life now are a lot easier than her life back in Africa, like having water come out of the sink in her new home. She thinks back to the trips to get water with her mother and wishes she could show her. As she comes across a puddle, Eva remembers her mother saying how the world is connected by the water. The big idea of this story is that although everyone lives differently we all are connected in some way, and to be thankful of things others may not be able to have like easily obtainable clean water. ( )