Grandma wants to make carrot soup, but she can't do it alone. See who comes to help her!In the Russian folktale that this story is based on, a grandfather plants a turnip, which turns out to be too big for him to harvest. He asks for help from his wife, his granddaughter, a dog, and a cat. Only when the smallest, weakest character--the mouse--joins in can they succeed. If everyone works together, the story says, they can do anything!Millions of farmers in Ethiopia grow crops on small plots--onions, peppers, leafy greens, tomatoes, cabbages, grains and even coffee. A wild carrot grows in the Ethiopian mountains. For about a decade, a Danish organization called Carrot Aid has been helping families grow several different kinds of carrots because the Vitamin A in carrots is so helpful for healthy eyes.Ready Set Go Books, an Open Hearts Big Dreams Project, is focused on increasing the literacy rate in Ethiopia through giving readers books with stories in their heart languages, full of colorful illustrations with Ethiopian settings and details.

Profits from books sales will be used to create, print, and distribute more Ready Set Go Books to kids in Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous country. Ethiopia's population is 44% children, ages 0-14 (43 million out of 97 million total). Only 5.5% of children attend pre-school or kindergarten, and the adult literacy rate is 49%. Our books are based on wise Ethiopian sayings that often rhyme in Amharic. If an adult says the first half, many children can chant the second half. Sometimes the meaning of these sayings is clear. Sometimes it has to be puzzled out and argued over.

But sayings and idioms and proverbs help people express truths and beliefs in unusual ways. Open Hearts Big Dreams Fund (OHBD) is a 501(3)(c) not for profit organization that believes the chance to dream big dreams should not depend on where in the world you are born. Our focus is to support nonprofit organizations and their programs that provide literacy, K-12 education, and leadership as well as that support the parents and communities where the kids live, in Ethiopia.