Catching the Sun

Many rural Ethiopian homes rely on fires for light and heat when the sun goes down, which causes bothersome smoke and requires large quantities of firewood. Gathering firewood for home fires takes a heavy toll on Ethiopian women and forests alike. Author Caroline Kurtz grew up in Maji, Ethiopia, where women delivered babies by flashlight before she arranged for a solar light to illuminate the delivery room. Next she turned her efforts to the homes of Maji, which lies 80 miles beyond the national power grid. With the help of friends she began a nonprofit, Maji Development Coalition, which is installing solar powered lights in households in this gorgeous part of Ethiopia. Now children do their homework by the bright light of solar-powered electricity and their homes are filled with smoke-free air. Illustrated with beautifully detailed watercolor landscapes by Luz Adriana Montes de Oca. Side by side text in English and Ethiopian languages like Amharic, Tigrinya and Afaan Oromo help emerging bilingual readers develop fluency and vocabulary.