Frederick Lipp

Sophy longs with all of her heart to attend school, but it is too far away to walk without running shoes. When a kind stranger sends her a pair of shoes, Sophy doesn't waste any time running all 8 kilometers straight to the school. She is the only girl and the boys ridicule her, but once given the opportunity, Sophy is determined to realize her dream. Lovely paintings evoke Sophy's spirit and the beauty of the Cambodian countryside.

Shanti lives in the mountains of Sri Lanka with her mother, Amma, who works hard every day picking tea leaves. Before walking to school one day, Shanti asks her mother for her wishes. "I wish you good luck, and may you be surprised by what you learn," says Amma.