Houle House: raffle items---holly packiam

what a joy it's been to find a kindred spirit in holly packiam over the past few years. she challenges me in ways that most people do not. she is absolutely bursting with ideas and intentionality and i'm sure that just being around her is somehow good for my soul. and i love the thought that she put into these books for the raffle. these are just perfect.

from holly...

I continue to be in awe of how books change lives. Better than any lecture I can give my children, a book has the potential to ignite compassion or bring a new perspective into their lives. The following three books present heartwarming stories of children living in different countries around the world. You’ll find stories with themes of sharing, giving, and receiving in each one. In a Life Like Mine, we’re reminded of how lucky we are to have running water and how many others around the world are not afforded that luxury.

Mama Panya’s Pancakes

On market day, Mama Panya’s son Adika invites everyone he sees to a pancake dinner. How will Mama Panya ever feed them all? This clever and heartwarming story about Kenyan village life teaches the importance of sharing, even when you have little to give.

Beatrice’s Goat

This illustrated book offers the true story of how a poor African girl was able to attend school after receiving a goat as a gift through a special international project and then sell its milk to get the money needed to buy her books

A Life Like Mine

After ten years of study and consultation, UNICEF, the premier organization devoted to the care and welfare of the world's children, published the results of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Using these tenets as a base, A Life Like Mine profiles children from all over the globe leading their lives in different and fascinating ways. The challenges of nations both developed and developing are revealed in the stories and photographs in this special volume. DK and UNICEF have combined their inspirational forces to provide remarkable insight into children's lives.

Water is first, after the introduction we see how much water most of us in North America use and how much water some countries have to manage with. Also reasons why some places don't have enough (clean) water. Then it's the story of children in a few places and how and where they get water from. Then it's the personal story of one child, with water as it's main theme.