PUKU.co.za

African Writer Kaguri Builds School for his Village

by Bontle on 21 Jun 2010   |   

The Price of Stones is a new memoir that tells the story of author Twesigye Kaguri and his wife, Beronda, building Nyaka School in Kaguri’s village: rural Nyakagyezi in southwest Uganda. Nyaka School provides free education, meals and medical care for some 200 orphans. The school’s success has even led to the establishment of a second school in a nearby village and the publishing of Kaguri’s memoir.

Nyaka School also has a working farm to grow food for the children, a program to teach villagers to build clean water systems, vocational training and a program to assist caregivers for the orphans.

Kaguri learned the value of education early from his older brother Frank, whose kindness and generosity he idolized. In spite of their father’s disdain, Kaguri excelled at school, eventually joining Columbia University’s Human Rights Advocacy visiting scholars program.

Even as he discovers that “many in New York considered Africa a country, not a continent … [that] all Africans were the same” he also marvels at “the freedom of expression [he] found in America.” He pointedly notes his “amaze[ment] that primary through high school education was free.”

• Read the complete article at etaiwannews

Book details

• The Price of Stones by Twesigye Jackson Kaguri
  EAN: 9780670021840
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

Puku Reviews Queen of Green

by Bontle on 25 May 2010   |   

This book by Jacqui Taylor is ideal for preschools, or for parents who want to teach their kids about caring for the planet. The message is put across with bright pictures and poems that are fun to read aloud.

There’s Bella, who hears that going green is the thing to do, and tries to do it with green paint. When her mom explains what going green is all about, she decides to protect the planet as the Queen of Green.

Between the poems are eco facts and bright ideas about turning refuse into re-use and making the most of resources. It’s fun, not at all preachy and will certainly open the debate and get the children thinking.

• Read the complete article at Tonight

Book details

• The Queen of Green by Jacqui Taylor
  EAN: 9781770078123
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

Queen of Green Teaches Clean and Green Living

by Bontle on 09 Apr 2010   |   

Zimbabwean author and illustrator, Jacqui Taylor, has designed a new children’s book called The Queen of Green. The book is for adults and children alike and teaches them what it means to “go green” and how we can all assist in taking better care of planet earth.

Through the medium of contemporary verses, marvellous illustrations, tips and facts, she goes straight to the heart of the matter – that they need to love the earth. She wants them to realise that they can be a part of the solution, rather than the problem, and have fun at the same time. Concepts such as “global warming” and “climate change” are explained in a way that children will understand. It’s a must for every child; their parents, grandparents, teachers and child carers might discover that they too can learn something new!

Book details

• The Queen of Green by Jacqui Taylor
  EAN: 9781770078123
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

Leesplesier vir van Kleuters tot Tieners deur Karen Ebersohn

by Bontle on 25 Mar 2010   |   

PRINSES MOSSIENES en DRIE HOERA’S VIR DENVER! deur Wendy Maartens en illustrasies deur Alida Botma.
Albei hierdie boeke behandel onaangename situasies waaraan kinders blootgestel word: In Prinses Mossienes is dit egskeiding en in Drie Hoera’s vir Denver molestering.
Saam met Dina en Denver ervaar ons die pyn en verwarring wat kinders in sulke situasies ondervind. Die verhaal werk deur die hele proses van hartseer, skaamte, erkenning en genesing.

PHAPO SE GESKENK deur Marita van Aswegen. Illustrasies deur Fanie Viljoen.
Phapo is ’n mooi, slim meisie op die rand van puberteit. Sy woon saam met haar ouma en pa in ’n landelike gebied. Haar ma is dood toe sy gebore is en haar pa is sterwend aan vigs. Sy wil nog speel, maar haar maats stel net in verhoudings belang. Maar haar ouma leer haar ’n belangrike lewensles uit die ou Sotho-kultuur hieroor. ’n Mooi vriendskapsband ontwikkel ook tussen haar en Lucy.

BEWAAR ONS PLANEET deur Martyn Bramwell en andere.
“Mense is merkwaardige diere. Ons kan met mekaar praat en ons kan die wereld om ons verander. Nietemin is daar dinge waarmee ons nie so goed is nie. Een daarvan is dat ons te groot lewe.”
Só lui die inleiding van Bewaar ons planeet waarin die mens se geweldige aanslag op die aarde en sy hulpbronne bespreek word. Daarna volg vier afdelings, Aarde, Water, Diere en Voedsel, waaronder verskeie bewaringskwessies bespreek word. Baie oulik is ook die aksieplan met wenke wat by byna elke tema verskyn. Pragtige volkleurfoto’s verbreed ook die inligting en prikkel die jong lesers se verbeelding.

VANG DIE MONSTER deur Norbert Landa. Illustrasies deur Tim Warnes.
Die uitdrukking lui om van ’n molshoop ’n berg te maak, maar in die oulike storie maak Eend se vriende van ’n muis ’n monster. Eend roep om hulp wanneer sy ’n vreemde geluid onder haar bed hoor en elkeen wat kom help, las ’n stertjie by die storie wat die diere al hoe banger maak. Die aanlas-storie met sy verrassende einde en oulike illustrasies is pure pret vir kleuters.

MOTORS, TROKKE EN ALLES WAT RY en MY EERSTE BOEK VAN ALLES! deur Richard Scarry.
Richard Scarry het die kuns vervolmaak om leer groot pret te maak. Sy boeke is ’n bombardement van kleur, karakters en woorde, maar dit kan ’n kind ure lank besig hou. Motors, trokke en alles wat ry gaan die Oink-gesin op reis en sien van brandweerwaens tot padmaakmasjiene en motors met vreemde vorms soos die muis-gesin se kaaswiggiemotor. Tussendeur kan jy na Goudgogga soek en kyk of Sersant Flossie die wilde Dingo gevang kry om vir hom ’n parkeerkaartjie te gee.

DIE KNAL-LEKKERSTE WETENSKAPBOEK IN DIE HEELAL: DEUR DIE SLIMKOPPIES deur Claire Watts en HOE BYNA ALLES UITGEVIND IS: DEUR DIE BRAINWAVES deur Jilly Macleod.
Die Slimkoppies-strokieskarakters (Brainwaves in Engels) is die handelsmerk van die illustreerders Lisa Swerling en Ralph Lazar en Claire Watts verskaf die woorde vir die reeks boeke. Die Slimkoppies het al in die menslike liggaam rondgereis, die planeet deurkruis en nou wys hulle hoe die wetenskap lyk en hoe dinge uitgevind is. Die knal-lekkerste wetenskapboek se agterblad sê “dit is ’n ontploffing van wetenskaplike lawwigheid.” Laf of nie, hierdie boeke is gepak met inligting oor die wetenskap.

GEHEIME OP KEURBOSLAAN deur Theunis Krog.
Berrie Serfontein is in die moeilikheid. In ’n fluistergesprek wat hy toevallig hoor, dreig ’n vreemde besoeker met ’n Amerikaanse aksent om geheime uit sy pa se verlede bekend te maak. Berrie besluit om sy pa te beskerm – hoe weet hy nie.
Die klassieke Keurboslaan-reeks is steeds gewild en die moeite werd.

MEISIES SE DINGE: OPBLAASBRA’S deur Cathy Hopkins.
Lucy is veertien jaar oud, maar sy lyk twaalf jaar oud. Haar beste vriendinne, Izzie en Nesta, kan deurgaan vir sestien jaar. Dit voel vir Lucy asof alles om haar verander. Almal behalwe sy weet al wie hulle is en wat hulle eendag wil word. Dit laat haar in ’n stadium uitroep: “Dit voel net of niks rêrig pas nie… Ek pas ook nêrens in nie!”
Hierdie boek is ’n roman oor tienerwees, maar bied op ’n vars manier raad oor grootword vir meisies. Ná sommige hoofstukke is daar bv. engelkaarte met inspirerende gedagtes. Die oorsprong van die engelkaarte is deel van die verhaal, so ook die lysies met wenke soos hoe om die ander geslag se aandag te trek wat elkeen van die drie hoofkarakters opstel.

GLORIOUS GALUMPIOUS STORY COLLECTION deur Roald Dahl.
“I am totally convinced that most grown-ups have completely forgotten what it is like to be a child be-tween the ages of five and ten… I can remember exactly what it was like. I am certain I can,” word Roald Dahl agterin een van die boeke in die versameling aangehaal. As jy of jou kinders nog nie kennis gemaak het met Roald Dahl nie, moenie die versameling van vyf van sy kinderboeke misloop nie. Dahl verstaan ’n kind se kop en sy aweregse humor sal Ma en Pa ook laat grinnik.

SWEEF EN ANDER VERHALE.
Sweef en ander verhale is ’n splinternuwe kortverhaalbundel uit die pen van 25 uiteenlopende skrywers. Van hulle is bekende jeugboekskrywers soos Martie Preller, Leon de Villiers, Jaco Jacobs, Zulfah Otto-Sallies en Fanie Viljoen tot nuwe stemme soos Marietjie Vos en Christo Davids (Errol van 7de Laan). Davids se verhaal oor ’n jong seun se worsteling met sy pa wat hom weggegooi het, het baie beïndruk.
Al die verhale in Sweef het een ding gemeen – dit is gemik op tieners en hul belewenis van die wêreld, hul emosies, hul vrese en natuurlik hul ervaring van die liefde en die lyflike.
Die stories handel oor hedendaagse kwessies waarmee tieners te doen het, hoe hul daarop reageer en die gevolge van hul optrede. Soos egskeiding van ouers, teleurstelling van vriende wat ’n mens in die steek laat, hoërskool wat vir sommiges nie lekker is nie, Mxit en tegnologiese vooruitgang en vrees vir die onbekende.

• Lees die Volkome Boekverslag

Book details

• Prinses Mossienes by Wendy Maartens, illustrated by Alida Botma
  Book homepage
  EAN: 9800799345308
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• Vang Die Monster by Norbet Landa, Tim Warnes
  Book homepage
  EAN: 9780799345261
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• Phapo se Geskenk by Marita van Aswegen, illustrated by Fanie Viljoen
  EAN: 9780620457255
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• Motors, Trokke En Alles Wat Ry by Richard Scarry
  Book homepage
  EAN: 9781869193348
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• My Eerste Boek Van Alles by Richard Scarry
  Book homepage
  EAN: 9781869193355
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• Die knal-lekkerste wetenskapboek in die heelal: deur Die Slimkoppies by Claire Watts, Liza Swerling, Ralph Lazar
  Book homepage
  EAN: 9780798151238
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• Hoe Byna Alles Uitgevind Is by Die Brainwaves
  EAN: 9780981407500
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• Geheime Op Keurboslaan: Boek 8 by Theunis Krogh
  EAN: 9780798150217
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• Meisies Se Dinge by Cathy Hopkins
  EAN: 9781920335007
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• Roald Dahl’s Glorious Galumptious Story Collection by Roald Dahl
  EAN: 9780141329291
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• Sweef En Ander Verhale by Adinda Vermaak, illustrated by Marieta Nel
  Age range 13-16
  EAN: 9780799345520
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• Bewaar Ons Planeet by Martyn Bramwell, illustrated by James Crackell
  Book homepage
  EAN: 9780799345452
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

Four New Book Reviews by Nicolette Scrooby

by Bontle on 17 Mar 2010   |   

Miley Cyrus: This is her Life by Brittany Kent

HANNAH Montana fans will go crazy for this biography on Miley Cyrus – it’s packed with photos of the teen sensation and her co-stars, and there are lots of quizzes to test how much you know about her.

The chunky little book has a magazine feel to it and the blurb on the cover calls it “an unofficial scrapbook”. The colourful pages add to the scrapbook feel. You will have the inside scoop on Miley’s likes, dislikes, crushes and best friends, and will even see how to glam up – or down – like a real superstar.

My First Book of Southern African Insects by Charmaine Uys

LITTLE ones will delight in this book about creepy- crawlies.

Short descriptions about insects are written in English, Afrikaans, Xhosa and Zulu. There’s also a handy little information bar accompanying each insect which tells you what they like to eat, when they are active and their size compared to a matchstick.

The little girl I was paging through the book with could – with no help from me – instantly tell when an insect was deadly due to the red skull and cross bones placed alongside the insect. A triangle with an exclamation mark inside also indicates if an insect bites or stings.

This is a fantastic book for children discovering the world around them. The Adventures of Scratch Sniff and Mr Smith: The Case of the Missing Garlic by Shidani Mohindra
Its basic storyline and child-friendly drawings make for fun reading and easy understanding. The added bonus of being able to smell the pages is an absolute hit. My daughter’s favourite part of the book is right at the end when Mr Smith, I quote, “had a poep” and she could smell it.

My First Book of Southern African Birds: Volume 2 by Erroll Cuthbert
This is a fascinating children’s book about birds in our country.
It has great colour illustrations with short, snappy information blurbs in English, Afrikaans, Xhosa and Zulu that give just the right amount of information without going into overload for children.
This book came at a perfect time for me, as my four-year-old was a sparrow in her school concert. It helped us pick the correct colour for her costume (which, by the way, I had to pay someone to make) and helped her identify with the bird.

• Read More of the Reviews at Daily Dispatch

Book details

• Miley Cyrus: This Is Her Life by Brittany Kent
  Ages 9 to 12
  EAN: 9780425225387
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• My First Book of Southern African Insects by Charmaine Uys
  Book homepage
  EAN: 9781770072138
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• My First Book of Southern African Birds: Volume Two by Errol Cuthbert, Jennifer Schaum
  EAN: 9781770077430
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• The Adventures of Scratch Sniff and Mr Smith: The Case of the Missing Garlic by Shibani Mohindra, Sue Sansome
  EAN: 9780956207012
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

Young Children Join in Celebrating the Life of Martin Luther King Through I Have a Dream

by Nonikiwe - Editor on 22 Jan 2010   |   

My 5 year old son overheard me talking about Martin Luther King Day a few days ago and immediatly started asking me questions about MLK; who was he and why did he have a special day named after him? Then I remembered that my dad had bought me a book called I have a Dream by Margaret Davidson when I was about 9 years old which I still had. This was a good time to bring it out again, didn’t think it would be this early but I guess times have changed. I came across this article which also talks about introducing young children to legends such as Martin Luther King.
Read more here.

Want to get tongue-tied? Try explaining segregation, nonviolence and the assassination of a national hero to a 6-year-old.

But there’s a joy in conveying your core values to children that trumps even the hazards, so with Martin Luther King Jr. Day fast approaching on Jan. 18, we consulted Doreen Rappaport, author of the children’s book “Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” (Hyperion).

“Dr. King is a model of courage and persistence and determination,” she said. “Here is somebody who grew up in the hideous time of racial segregation, which really made kids and adults feel they were inferior, and this man preached that hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do it. That’s extraordinary.”

Young children aren’t ready for all the details of the message, she says, but they can understand the heart of it.

“It wasn’t like today” when Martin Luther King Jr. was alive, she might tell a 6-year-old. “If something happens today, you can go to your teacher and tell him or her that somebody was misbehaving and your teacher will help you solve the problem.”

But in the 1950s, black people didn’t have someone in power to turn to when white people did the wrong thing, Rappaport says.

“I think what you can say to children is sometimes when there’s no one to help, we try to bring attention to the problem in a different way. And marching and demonstrating and walking and holding signs that say, ‘We want peace,’ and, ‘Freedom now,’ is another way to show the world what’s going on without lifting your fist.”

Little kids can also understand the basic history of the civil rights movement, she says. Just keep it simple.

• Read the complete article at The Baltimore Sun

Book details

• I Have a Dream: The Story of Martin Luther King by Margaret Davidson
  EAN: 9780590442305
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!