South Africa has an array of talented authors and with that comes many relevant stories with a local undertone; stories that need to be told. Here are three children’s books that are worth adding to your family’s book collection:
Disaster at Gogo’s Spaza is a great local story that sheds some light on living in Soweto. In the book, Top Billing presenter Salamina Mosese and author and illustrator Vian Oelofsen tell the story of Tumi visiting her grandmother in Soweto for the holidays. Tumi and her twin cousins often help out at their Gogo’s spaza shop, called Gogo’s Goodies – the oldest spaza in all of Soweto. But, when Gogo leaves for a few days, Tumi has a bright idea. Or is it? She decides to open and run the shop with her two cousins. Ideally, they want to make loads of money. While it’s a great idea, they’ve never done it without their Gogo, and things quickly get out of hand.
De Wet Hugo and Martinus van Tee’s book, Catastrophe is a fun read for the whole family. In fact, it might just be the next best bedtime read. In the book, someone takes the money that Lady Elmaine Koontz sponsored as a prize for the talent contest. Leo is certain that it’s Clawd, the tiger’s doing. Or, maybe it has something to do with the new pupil at Cathedral Primary, called Gato. Whilst in search for the culprit, everyone starts suspecting Leo, though. Eventually, he has to prove his innocence and reveal the truth about Clawd. Also, who will win the contest?
Fred Khumalo is an award-winning author with twelve books to his name. In the book, Crossing the River, the fifteen-year-old Nozizwe and her family are on the run from the Zimbabwean farm where her family works and lives. Unfortunately, war veterans invaded it and took the black labourers away, apparently to be sold into slavery in the Congo. As Nozizwe’s aunt, Queenface leads the family to Limpopo, a crocodile attacks Nozizwe’s older sister while they are crossing the river. Whilst leaving the river, human traffickers pick them up and imprison them. Eventually Nozizwe disguises herself as a boy called Sizwe and escapes, making her way to Johannesburg. There, she lands on the street, where a car runs her over. Luckily, it belongs to an open-minded academic with connections. Has her late sister been guiding her all along?
All three these books are available through NB Publishers.
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