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Mpho ya Thandeka e Ruta Bana ho Bala

by Nonikiwe - Editor on 28 Apr 2010   |   

Mpho ya Thandeka ke pale ya bana e ngotsoeng ke Fathima Dada, Gcina Mhlope, Leoni Hofmeyr le Pandora Alberts. Ke pale e latelang Thandeka a feheletswa ke nkhono wa hae ho ilo bona mpho e ntle a ncha ya habo Thandeka. Tsamaeang le le Thandeka le Nkhono wa hae ka tekesi le terene le fete dibaka le dintho tse ngata tseleng, ho fihlala le bona hore na ke eng mpho e ncha e entseng hore ba tsamae tsela e telele ha kana. Buka ena e fumaneha ke dipuo kaofela tsa Afrika Boroa ho Biblionef.

Book details

• Mpho Ya Thandeka by Fathima Dada, Gcina Mhlope, Leoni Hofmeyr, Pandora Alberts
  Ages 2 to 5
  EAN: 780636066557
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Thandiwe's Choice Could be Another Winner From Mari Grobler

by Nonikiwe - Editor on 28 Apr 2010   |   

Follow the story of a girl, Thandiwe, whose cat has 10 kittens. Her mother will only let her keep one and she has to give away the rest. Take a ride together with Thandiwe as she looks at each kitten to decide which one will suit her grandmother and grandfather, her friend Siyolo, her teacher, the neighbour with the large garden, and the musician to name a few.

Book details

• Thandiwe’s Choice by Mari Grobler
  Book homepage
  Ages 4 to 8
  EAN: 9780624046073
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S is for South Africa Brings Beverley Nadioo Back Home

by Nonikiwe - Editor on 20 Apr 2010   |   

S is for South Africa by Beverley Naidoo and photographed by Prodeepta Das is where two oceans meet, cold Atlantic from the west and warm Indian from the east. Our country stretches wide over Africa’s southern shores from golden beach to misty mountain, desert sand to grassy plain in a land of contrasts where we praise the sun — yet pray for rain! From Cricket to Madiba, from Bunny Chow to Kubu, this photographic alphabet celebrates everything we South Africans love best about our country. Set at the southern end of the African continent, our beautiful land with its many different plants, animals, people and languages was once made ugly by racism. But now our rainbow nation is striving to make the country a fairer place for everyone.

Book details

• S is for South Africa by Beverley Naidoo
  Ages 6 to 9
  EAN: 9781847800183
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The Gift of the Tortoise Challenges the Mischievous Hare

by Nonikiwe - Editor on 30 Mar 2010   |   

Even though I grew up hearing many different stories about the Tortoise and the Hare, my ears still stood up when I heard about Sanelle Sibanda‘s new children’s book The Gift of the Tortoise. That’s one duo I don’t think we will ever get tired of hearing about.

SAN FRANCISCO (MMD Newswire) March 17, 2010 — The Gift of the Tortoise, an illustrated children’s book by Sanelle Sibanda, works to entertain young readers while emphasizing the importance of honesty and fairness.

When a massive drought strikes the prosperous African land of Ntabazindun, the animals that live there are forced to flee their homes in search of food and water. One night during their journey, they camp near a tree full of nourishing green leaves. In order to share the leaves for all to enjoy, the animals agree to only eat a few and save the rest for morning. But during the night, a selfish hare hatches a scheme to eat more leaves and place the blame on someone else. When he is caught the next day, he tricks the animals into letting him escape and finds new ways to steal their resources and turn them against each other. Now it is up to the wise tortoise to catch the hare and put an end to his tricks once and for all.

“The book emphasizes that it is important to respect others even if they seem insignificant and treat people the way you like to have them treat you,” Sibanda says. “My grandmother made me smile by telling me great stories and I want to share that gift with others.”

The book features full-color illustrations on each page that depict the animals and their adventures on the way to greener lands. Inspired by the author’s grandmother’s stories, the narrative includes African names, words and themes in an effort to teach young readers about fairness and respect for others.

About the Author

Sanelle Sibanda is a writer, director and actor. Born in Bulawayo, a major city in Zimbabwe, he was raised by his beloved grandmother in the midst of guerilla warfare. A graduate of City University in London, he later relocated to San Francisco where he became involved in film production, direction, acting and writing. Sibanda recently produced and directed a feature film entitled “Generation Now” that premiered at The Four Star Theatre in March 2008. The Gift of the Tortoise is a product of his memories of his grandmother who told him stories to help take his mind from pains of civil war.

• Read the complete article

Book details

• The Gift of the Tortoise by Sanelle Sibanda
  EAN: 9781449946579
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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
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• My First Book of Southern African Insects by Charmaine Uys
  Book homepage
  EAN: 9781770072138
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• My First Book of Southern African Birds: Volume Two by Errol Cuthbert, Jennifer Schaum
  EAN: 9781770077430
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• The Adventures of Scratch Sniff and Mr Smith: The Case of the Missing Garlic by Shibani Mohindra, Sue Sansome
  EAN: 9780956207012
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Desmond Tutu Adds a Word to Fly, Eagle, Fly

by Nonikiwe - Editor on 10 Dec 2009   |   

Christopher Gregorowski brings to life a sweet tale in Fly, Eagle, Fly: An African Tale with the help of Niki Daly and a forward from Desmond Tutu.
Read review here:

In his introduction, Archbishop Desmond Tutu writes, “how deeply moving and poignant it is to think of what gave rise to Fly, Eagle, Fly! — it was written for [author Gregorowski's] dying child.” Indeed, this adapted African fable is a hopeful and stirring tale.

The story begins when a farmer happens upon an eagle chick blown from its nest by the winds of a great storm. The well-intentioned farmer rescues the chick and raises it as a chicken.

Villagers watch in amusement as the maturing eagle continues to behave as a chicken. When a visiting friend sees the confined eagle, he is determined to set it free. Unaware that it is confined, the eagle doesn’t know something more is waiting beyond the farm; in short, the eagle doesn’t know it can fly.

After two failed attempts, the farmer and his friend take the eagle to a distant mountaintop. As the sun rises, the friend instructs the eagle, “You belong not to the earth, but to the sky. Fly, Eagle, fly!” and with that, the eagle fulfills its destiny.

Illustrator Niki Daly, who dedicates the book to the children of South Africa, uses watercolors that are broad, sweeping, and very detailed. Full of browns, greens, and oranges, the book feels earthy and warm. And, while the story itself describes few, if any, daily village activities, Daly’s illustrations are sufficiently explicit, and children will gain a rudimentary sense of some traditional African architectural structures, textiles, and geography. Further, the illustrations represent present-day Africa, where people wear contemporary clothing as well as traditional African garb. In this sense, Fly, Eagle, Fly! points to the fable’s timelessness.

This is a tale of spirit and hope, and Desmond Tutu acknowledges its spiritual significance. Fly, Eagle, Fly! is an ever-expanding tale; so rich and dense are its metaphors that there is no single way to read this story. I was particularly moved by the story’s implication that if we acknowledge what’s in our hearts, we can fulfill our destiny.

• Read the complete article

Book details

• Fly, Eagle Fly: An African Tale by Christopher Gregorowski, illustrated by Niki Daly
  EAN: 9780689823985
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