After her mother has a new baby, little Elizabeti wants a baby of her own to hold and cuddle. She has no doll but finds a rock that is just the right size and she names the rock Eva. As Elizabeti's motehr cares for the baby, Elizabeti mimics her actions with Eva--feeding and burping her rock, changing its diapers, and tying it to her back with a kanga while she does her daily chores. When Eva the rock diappears one day, readers will be as surprised as Elizabeti to discover where she went, and they will find the resolution satisfying. Although the Tanzanian village setting will be unfamiliar to most children in the United States, they will recognize the warm family nurturing and Elizabeti's resourceful imagination. Highly Commended, 1999 Charlotte Zolotow Award. (Ages 3-7)