This is a list of recommended South African childrens literature that will enhance studies of South Africa, especially for users of the Little Footprints South African Homeschool Curriculum.
We are often asked to provide lists of South African childrens literature. The following are books that have not been included in our Footprints South African homeschool curriculum programmes, but which we have read and recommend.
If you are using
Little Footprints
then use this South African childrens literature to enhance your children's learning experience.
Most of the books reviewed below are South African books, but many of them are out of print. However, you can enjoy them by borrowing them from the library. If your local library does not stock them, then ask the librarian to order them for you from Inter-library Loans.
Please note: This list of South African childrens literature is copyrighted which means that you cannot copy
and paste it into an email and send it out to eloops and friends but
please feel free to send your friends a link from this page!
Titles still in print
Titles available from Footprints On Our Land
Out of print titles - use the library to find these books
TITLES STILL IN PRINT
Adventures of Riley -Safari in South Africa, by Amanda Lumry
Nine-year-old Riley travels to South Africa to help his Uncle Max, a conservation biologist, track and count wild animals.
They see wild African animals like baboon, cheetah, giraffe, and others. The stunning double-page spreads combine colour photos of the bush, good close-up shots of specific animals as well as cartoon illustrations of Riley and the guides in the jeep. There are also boxed insets with facts combining science with the adventure.
Top of South African Childrens Literature
How it was with Dooms, by Xan and Carol Hopcraft
This book, written by a mother and
son team tells of their true experience of fostering a cheetah cub in
Kenya. It is a moving and heartwarming story illustrated with beautiful colour photo spreads and some of young Xan's drawings of the African wildlife..
Top of South African Childrens Literature
One Child One Seed, by Kathryn Cave
This beautiful book, with full colour photos throughout is
written on three levels.
Firstly, it is a South African counting book.
Secondly, it is a strory about a child who plants a seed and reaps the
pumpkin that grows. Thirdly, it gives factual information about life in
rural KwaZulu-Natal.
Top of South African Childrens Literature
An African ABC, by Jacqui Taylor
This is a beautiful book to use to teach the ABC’s in an African context.
Illustrations that highlight the flora, fauna, places and customs of Africa accompany the charming alliterations.
Please note there is a
picture of a sangoma and her bones on one page.
Top of South African Childrens Literature
African alphabet wildlife and number book
Aimed at 3 to 5 year olds, this title introduces the alphabet and basic numbers and counting through the theme of African wildlife and nature.
Top of South African Childrens Literature
To Everything There is a Season, by Jude Daly
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven..."
The well-loved words of Ecclesiastes take on new life and meaning in the sun-baked rural setting of a South African homestead.
Top of South African Childrens Literature
Hamlet and Kimberley, by Lynn Bedford-Hall
The adventure-loving piglet with a fringe, Hamlet and his new friend, a cuckoo called Kimberley, who makes a nest in Hamlet's hair take a trip across the Karoo in search of Kimberley's parents. An exciting discovery at the Big Hole puts a happy end to their journey.
This is a fun introduction to a variety of local places as well as South African flora and fauna.
Afrikaans: Potjie en Kimberley
Top of South African Childrens Literature
Huberta, by Peter Younghusband
This book is based on the true story of a hippo, which, in the late
1920’s, wandered from KwaZulu-Natal down the east coast of
South Africa as far as King William’s Town in the Eastern
Cape. Huberta, as the hippo became known, caused some trouble along the
way but after featuring in newspaper headlines around the world, she
became the darling of the public.
You are advised to pre-read chapters 9 and 10 which are partly about a
witch doctor. You may wish to edit out bits of the chapter and use it
to explain to your children that some people are not Christians and
follow other beliefs. Similarly, there is a non-Biblical comment at the
end about God being too busy, that would need explaining.
Top of South African Childrens Literature
TITLES FROM FOOTPRINTS
The Best of Storytime and Storyland,
compiled by Shirley Erwee
& Wendy Young
In order to make the stories from the two books below available again,
we have selected the best from each and reprinted them with copyright
permission. Available from Footprints On Our Land only when you order a
Little Footprints package. Since we refer to some of these stories in
our curriculum Footprints on Our Land – South
Africa’s Heritage too, it would be a worthwhile investment.
Storytime, by Jay Heale (Out of print)
This is a compilation of stories and poems by various South African
authors. There are also includes several “Did you
Know?” boxes with relevant factual information about aspects
of some of the stories, to add to their value.
Storyland, by Jay Heale (Out of print)
This is the sequel to Storytime, however this time, the authors were
asked to write a story set in a specific place in South Africa. Notes
about the geographical setting are included at the start of each story.
Top of South African Childrens Literature
Uncle Bill’s Bedtime Stories, by Bill
Mc Dougall
(Available from Footprints On Our Land only when you order a Little
Footprints package.)
This is a collection of over eighty short anecdotes told by an
87-year old grandfather. Each true story reflects that God loves
people, guides them and that He answers many prayers. You could read
one a day in the morning or at night as part of your devotions. More
grandparents should write stories like this!
Susan and the Leopard, by Joan Norton
(Available from Footprints On Our Land only when you
order a Little Footprints package.)
This is a home published story based on the true instance of a
leopard that roamed through the town of Betty’s Bay, written
by the mother of the game ranger that captured the leopard, to release
it elsewhere in the wild. In this story, little Susan feeds the pussy
cat, until the grown ups realize just what a cat it is!
Top of South African Childrens Literature
Marcus and the Boxcar, by Marguerite Poland
(Reprints available from Footprints On Our Land only when you order a
Little Footprints package.)
After reading Marcus
and the Boxing Gloves, we were sold on Marcus and his
adventures. In this story Marcus has to stay for the school holidays
with his strange Aunt Frieda. He meets up with the local children and
they build a boxcar together. It brings out the best and worst in
sibling and friendship relationships and is definitely worth a good
read.
Afrikaans: Markus
en die Kaskar
Top of South African Childrens Literature
OUT OF PRINT TITLES
Grandma’s Hat, by Rosemary Kahn
Set in the Karoo near De Aar, Grandma tells the story of when she was a
girl and how the Sunday hat she detested, came to belong to a
neighbouring farmer’s scarecrow.
Afrikaans: Ouma se Hoed
Peter the Gardener, by Jenny Seed.
An avid young gardener, Peter, has to leave his home and stay with his
relatives in Durban as his mother is admitted to hospital. He struggles
to find anyway to plant his giant delphinium seeds that his dad gave to
him, until he finds a most unusual spot and the plants growth has the
most extraordinary consequences. A good “go-along”
with The Professor’s Garden.
Afrikaans: Jantjie se Blomtuin.
Top of South African Childrens Literature
Mondi, the Music Maker, by Dianne Stewart
Mondi is a young boy with a crippled leg, who is musically talented. He
cannot dance or play soccer with his friends but they enjoy his music
which he plays on his recorder. He earns money playing outside The
Workshop in Durban, but when he loses his instrument on the train, he
has to make a difficult decision about what to do with his money. This
inspiring story will tug at your hearts –“a story
with more depth than many.” (Jay Heale)
Afrikaans: Mondi, die Fluitspeler. Also available in in Xhosa and Zulu.
Look out for other books by Dianne Stewart in your library.
Armien’s Fishing Trip, by Catherine
Stock
Armien lives in Kalk Bay and is the son of a fisherman. Eager to
experience a trip to sea, he stows away on his father’s boat
and becomes the hero of the day, when he rescues a fellow fisherman
tossed overboard in the bad weather.
Afrikaans: Armien Gaan See Toe.
The Boy on the Beach, by Niki Daly
A boy wanders away from his parents and has his own adventure on an
abandoned boat he finds. A simple story about a day at the beach.
Afrikaans: Die Seun op die Strand
Top of South African Childrens Literature
The Wind’s Song, by Jenny Seed
We loved the illustrations in this book! The text offers itself to a
study of the wind for older children and has the ability to help teach
all family members that they have a role to play no matter how small
they are.
Afrikaans: Die Wind se Lied.
The Big Pumpkin, by Jenny Seed
A good book for new readers, beyond the 3 letter word stage. Sipho
finds a pumpkin vine and watches the only one unspoilt pumpkin mature
until it is ready to be harvested. It is so big he can’t get
it back to his hut.
Top of South African Childrens Literature
Hout Bay’s Big Catch, by Debora Savage
We were tempted to add this book and its companion, The Houtbay
Stowaways, for the value of the pictures of Cape Town’s
parade area, flower sellers as well as the lovely scenes of Houtbay,
which are true to life. Some of the text is objectionable but please
check it for yourself. Flight from Houtbay is a third book by this
author. Available in Afrikaans.
The Karoo Hen, by Jenny Seed
This is an early reader type of book but it will fit in well alongside
Marcus and the Boxing Gloves. The Karoo Hen is an individual who does
not want to be like the other hens in the yard. She is always doing
something different in order to make herself feel important. One day
she wanders onto an empty railroad car and ends up in
Johannesburg…
Afrikaans: Die Karoo Hennetjie
Top of South African Childrens Literature
Leo’s Christmas Surprise, by Niki Daly
The grown ups are busy with the preparations for Christmas Day and
little Leo is puzzled by the odd assortment of household items that his
grandfather takes into his workshop - a rolling pin, a bath plug, the
leg of a broken chair etc...it is his Christmas surprise in the making.
Afrikaans: Leo se Kersverrassing.
Ntombi’s Song, by Jenny Seed.
Ntombi is given money and sent to the shop on her own to buy sugar for
the first time. Ntombi is proud of the responsibility she has been
given but longs to be more grown up. Along the way, she has dangers to
face and when the precious sugar gets spilt in the sand, she has to
overcome her fears. A beautifully illustrated story set in rural
KwaZulu-Natal.
Afrikaans: Ntombi se Lied.
Top of South African Childrens Literature
Sipho’s New Shoes, by Wendy Christopher
When Sipho’s money for new shoes is stolen, a kindly stranger
gives him the opportunity to earn what he needs to buy the shoes. Set
in Durban, this story will captivate your children and bring home some
sound Biblical principles, even though it is a secular story.
Afrikaans:Sipho se Nuwe Skoene
Midnight Cat, by Maretha Maartens
The family thinks their pet is a day cat, but they are mistaken. When
they are asleep his mischief begins. This book will fit in well with
the lesson on nocturnal animals in A South African Night.
Afrikaans:
Die Nagkat
Top of South African Childrens Literature
Bau and the Boabab Tree, by Lesley Beake
Written for beginner readers in Tafelberg’s Fun-to-Read
series, this is an amusing story about children playing hide-and-seek
in the veld. While looking for her friends, Bau encounters a variety of
wildlife. It will fit in well with a lesson about footprints and animal
tracks.
Looking Back, by CR de Wet van Wyk
A Voortrekker boy on Louis Trichardt's trek who longs for the comforts
and the delicious fruit of his home in the Cape decides to run away and
go back. He influences two of his friends to go with him. After one
scary night in the wild (where they pray briefly too), they return to
the laager, and unlike many children's stories where mischief is
glamourised, their sin is punished in Biblical fashion! They are also
taught that men should not look back but look ahead - an echo of a
Biblical principle.
Afrikaans: Manne Wat Omkyk.
Top of South African Childrens Literature
The Always Late Train and Other Stories, by Jenny Seed
This is a collection of stories that are set in various places around
South Africa. You could plot them on your map along with our other
stories.
Where Do I Come From? by Murray Jansen
The author has aimed to give our children a balanced and truthful
answer, including God, love and marriage. The foreword gives advice to
parents about how to discuss this sensitive subject in a relaxed way.
Suitable for children of 3 years and older, at your discretion.
Afrikaans: Waar Kom Ek Vandaan?
Top of South African Childrens Literature
CHILDREN'S BOOKS ABOUT NELSON MANDELA
We have not found a book that meets out
requirements to be included in our
Little Footprints
South African homeschool curriculum.
However, we do want our children about this interesting and famous man. Here are reviews of three books that we have found but which for
one reason or another were not suitable for the Little Footprints
programme. Nevertheless they could be used with modification as indicated.
What a Gentleman by Diane Case
(Out of print)
Case’s book presents an opportunity to study
caricature and ‘bubble speak’. It is written at
the 4 – 8 year level and is a simple introduction to
Mandela’s life. However, we feel that the last page in the book was inappropriate for this age group and the comment made that would raise questions, for which many young children
are not morally ready. These last two pages can easily be skipped and
so the whole story should not be discounted.
Mandela: From the Life of the South African Statesman, by Floyd Cooper
A beautifully illustrated book with rather hefty text but it
would be readable to an 8 year old.
This book is much more detailed than the one above. It does
does have references to the armed freedom struggle and
certain injustices during the Apartheid era.
However, the book is written with much love and also covers a lot of Mandela’s early life, before his involvement in the ANC.
Top of South African Childrens Literature
The Rainbow Man by Lionel J. Maxim
This is an illustrated biography, which enables children to identify
with Mandela from his early years in a rural village to the highest
Office of State, as well as the hardships in between. The fifteen
chapters would be too much for our younger ones, but along with the
pictures on every page, an abridged telling of the story by mom or dad
could work. No matter what your political views, you are bound to find
this story inspiring. For mature 8-year olds maybe, or ideally children
about 10 and up.
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