Bonyo grew up in Kenya where his family had little money and walked everywhere. His little sister died very young because there was no medical care nearby and this made him want to become a medical doctor to serve his village. It was very difficult and yet he was able to overcome very difficult obstacles and become what he wanted for his village and more. Well told and illustrated in a way that is simply inspiring.
The illustrations by Kristin Blackwood and Mike Blanc are clear, imaginative, colorful, informative.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school or your local public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on PDF from VanitaBooks LLC via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )

In a nation where so many children take education for granted, Bonyo Bonyo should be required reading. Not only does Bonyo understand and appreciate the value of an education, but he also knows that true success comes from extending help and being of service to other people. This is a tremendous and touching tale. Every illustration in here is a work of art.

Bonyo's achievements are inspirational, and his message is clear: "I would say to all children, follow your dream. Don’t let anything stand in the way. Others will help you if they see you are determined. But if you need courage, look inside yourself - you will find it there.” If anyone is interested in seeing the man behind the story, this is a link to Bonyo's Kenya Mission: http://www.bonyoskenyamission.org/ ( )

Bonyo Bonyo lives in a poor village in Kenya. When his little sister dies, he decides he is going to be a doctor and open a clinic in his village. When he is in seventh grade, his family has not money to pay for him to go to school. He meets a man in the town who is a prinicpal at a school 2 days walk from his village. The man tells him he can go to school for free if he can get there. So begins his journey. Even though he does well in school, he needs money to get to the US for university. His father and his village all do what they can to help him raise the money he needs to get to Texas to take advantage of the scholarship he has been given. The truth of how little they had hit me. As the story progressed, the underlying messages of perseverance and determination showed through the passages. Both good and bad days were shown as well how Bonyo decided to handle the situations. The illustrations were well done and added another dimension to the story. It is wonderful to see that net proceeds from book sales would go to the Bonyo's Kenya Mission.

There are so many ways a teacher could use this book in the classroom. Teaching about various cultures, social justice, perseverence and appreciation of all you have are just a few areas that come to mind.

Thank you to Netgalley and Vanita Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. ( )

This was a lovely book. A heartwarming story about a young Kenyan boy who sets his heart on becoming a doctor so he can help his village, who strives to make his dream come true.

The art is brilliant. Like the other works by Oelschlager illustrated by Blanc, this does not disappoint. Realistic, gorgeous illustrations, varying in somewhat in style depending on the page. The book is worth buying for the art alone.

Though, also like the other works by Oelschlager, I feel that it suffers from a lack of detail in the story. There ought to be more explanation about the situation in Africa—so children understand what is going on in Bonyo Bonyo's world, why his dream is such a big deal, just how against the odds it was for him to be able to make it come true, etc—as well as more detail about his life, especially once he went to college. We get like two pages of his dream actually becoming a reality, there should be more about what happened with him in Texas and how he got the clinic started and so forth. ( )

This is the moving story of Bonyo Bonyo, a Kenyan boy who dreams of becoming a doctor. Through his courage and dedication he is able to go to school, move to the states, and attend medical school. Years later he goes back to Kenya and builds a clinic for the village.

This is a beautiful story with amazing illustrations. It is a moving tale of hope and courage. Overall, a home run. ( )