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Archive for the ‘Children’ Category

Jenny Hatton and Joan Rankin Win Crystal Kite Member Choice Award for Finding Aunt Joan

Finding Aunt JoanCongratulations to Jenny Hatton and Joan Rankin who have won the 2012 Crystal Kite Member Choice Award (Africa region) for their book Finding Aunt Joan:

Finding Aunt Joan describes the drive with family (plus dog and mouse) crammed inside the car. Hugely amusing and perhaps the best of the three. Jenny Hatton’s text is simple, direct, easy to digest – ideal inspiration for some of Joan Rankin’s friendliest, most frantic set of illustrations. A delight for early readers.

The Lucy Books consist of three charming little square books which make a sort of sequence – the process of packing up one home, moving to the next, and enjoying life when you get there. Children will easily relate to the stories which reflect true to life events such as going on a journey, moving house and a visit to the beach. The rhythmic text of the Lucy books will help build children’s reading skills and confidence while they are absorbed by the humorous illustrations depicting Lucy and her family.

Full list of Crystal Kite Member Choice Awards 2012 Winners

Africa: Finding Aunt Joan: Jenny Hatton and Joan Rankin, Jacana Media
Australia: The Last Viking: Norman Jorgensen, Fremantle Press
California/Hawaii: Won Ton – A Cat Tale Told in Haiku: Lee Wardlaw, Henry Holt Books for Young Readers
Flordia/GA: Cleopatra’s Moon: Vicky Alvear Shecter, Arthur A Levine Books (Scholastic Press)
Kansas/LA: Between Shades of Gray: Ruta Sepetys, Philomel Books (Penguin Young Readers Group)
Middle East/Asia: Orchards: Holly Thompson, Delacorte Dell (Random House)
Minnesota/Iowa: Bluefish: Pat Schmatz, Candlewick Press
Nevada: Black & White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L Shuttlesworth and Eugene “Bull” Connor: Larry Brimner, Boyds Mills Press
New England: Pearl: Jo Knowles, Henry Holt Books for Young Readers Thelonious Mouse, Orel Protopopescu, Farrar, Straus & Giroux
PA/DE/NJ: The Absolute Value of Mike: Kathryn Erskine, Philomel Books (Penguin Young Readers Group)
Texas/OK: MINE! Patrice Barton, Random House Children’s Books
Americas: Witchlanders: Lena Coakley, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (Simon & Schuster)
UK/Europe: Dark Parties: Sara Grant, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Hachette Book Group USA)
Washington: The Friendship Doll: Kirby Larson, Delacorte Dell (Random House)

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Three New Children’s Titles from Jenny Hatton and Joan Rankin

Swimming in the SunMoving HouseFinding Aunt JoanSwimming in the Sun, Moving House and Finding Aunt Joan are three new titles in a delightful new series by Jenny Hatton exquisitely brought to life by award-winning illustrator, Joan Rankin.

Children will easily relate to the stories which reflect true to life events such as going on a journey, moving house and a visit to the beach. The rhythmic text of the Lucy books will help build children’s reading skills and confidence while they are absorbed in the humorous illustrations and the lives of Lucy’s family.

A free Activity Sheet is downloadable at http://www.jacana.co.za/teachers-and-librarians. This can be used alongside a book reading at a Library, in the classroom or at home.

About the author and illustrator

Jenny Hatton worked in the formal South African education sector for sixteen years before leaving to freelance in 2000. Since then she has been writing, editing, compiling and project managing for a range of publishers. Jenny has edited a large number of non-fiction and fiction for children and young adults. She has also written and edited school readers. She is Assistant Regional Advisor for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), South Africa. These are her first children’s picture books.

Joan Rankin has illustrated over thirty books for children. She received the South African HAUM Daan Retief Prize for children’s book illustration in 1986 and the Katrina Harris Award for Children’s Book Illustration in 1991. She has illustrated numerous books on the McElderry list, including A Frog in the Bog by Karma Wilson and Off to First Grade by Louise Borden. Joan recently won the MER Prize for best illustrated children’s book: Just Sisi/Net Sisi written by Wendy Hartmann.

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Meet Dianne Stewart, Author of Who’s Afraid of the Dark, at Exclusive Books Ballito

Who's Afraid of the DarkJoin Jacana Media and Exclusive Books for a book signing by Dianne Stewart, author of the delightful children’s book, Who’s Afraid of the Dark.

Stewart will be at Exclusive Books Ballito on Saturday 17 December 2011 at 10 AM.

See you there!

Event Details

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African Tales Retold in The Hyena and the Seven Little Kids and The Magic Fish

The Hyena and the Seven Little KidsThe Hyena and the Seven Little Kids

Gogo Goat warns her seven little kids not to let Hyena into the house while she is gone. The crafty hyena does his best to trick the kids into letting him in! Will the seven kids be safe from Hyena? Who tricks who in the end?

The Magic FishThe Magic Fish

One day, a poor fisherman catches a magic talking fish, which he immediately sets free. He tells his brother what has happened and his brother demands that he go and ask the magic fish for a bigger house. The magic fish grants the fisherman’s wish. Will his brother be satisfied or will he be greedy and ask for more?

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A Kite’s Flight Wins a 2011 Crystal Kite Member Choice Award

Congratulations to Maya Sereda on winning SCBWI’s Crystal Kite Award – Africa region for the book, by William Gumede, that she illustrated: A Kite’s Flight.

A Kite's Flight

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William Gumede Reads A Kite’s Flight at Bryanston Shopping Centre, Johannesburg

A Kite's Flight - Book Launch

A Kite's FlightPlease join Jacana Media and Bookdealers for a reading by William Gumede of his children’s book A Kite’s Flight, a story of Andile’s kite journey across Africa.

Kids aged 4 – 7 will not want to miss this!



Event Details

  • Date: Saturday, 16 April 2011
  • Time: 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
  • Venue: Bryanston Shopping Centre, Checkers Court
    Cnr of William Nicol and Ballyclare
    Bryanston
    Johannesburg | Map
  • RSVP: Amy Flatau, amy@jacana.co.za, 011 628 3202

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The Bieber Sensation: Jodi Bieber on her World Press Photo of the Year Award

Bibi Aisha

SowetoAs already reported by BOOK SA last week, South African photographer Jodi Bieber was shocked to learn that her portrait of Bibi Aisha, the 18-year-old Afghan girl who had her ears and nose cut off by her Taliban husband, was 2010′s World Press Photo of the Year. Oliver Roberts and Nechama Brodie both interviewed the photographer, who spoke about the intimacy involved in taking a photograph and her approach to a new assignment in a foreign country. Bieber is also the author the acclaimed photography book, Soweto, published by Jacana.

Oliver Roberts’ interview appeared in the Sunday Times:

OF all the significant things that come with winning World Press Photo of the Year 2010, there is one that nobody has mentioned. Such is the interest in her, South African Jodi Bieber now tops Jodi Picoult in Google’s predictive search menu. And when a brave and modest photographer is more fascinating than someone who churns out sappy novels by the week, then things, for the time being at least, are right with the world.

If you go to the World Press Photo website, you can listen to the moment Bieber found out she’d won photography’s Oscar: “What?!” she shouts over the line. “You’re joking. Are you serious? I cannot believe it. Never in a million years would I think the jury would want … I can’t believe it!” But she’s not unused to the acclaim. She has won numerous international awards, including eight World Press Awards.

Jodie Bieber’s interview with Nechama Brodie appeared in the Mail and Guardian:

Sometimes there’s a parallel between photographers, soldiers and journalists. The book My Friend the Mercenary, by British journalist James Brabazon, is fascinating. It’s about the relationship between Brabazon and South African mercenary Nick du Toit, which starts during the Liberian civil war and ends in the botched coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea.

I’m interested in it from a historical perspective: The relationships that developed, the behind-the-scenes look at war and the difficulty of adapting to the normal humdrum of life after seeing such atrocities. I’ve just read I Want My Life Back by Steve Hamilton. I heard him speaking on Talk Radio 702 and he was raw in his speech. I fell in love with the way he spoke.

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Photo courtesy NationalGeographic


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Storytime This Saturday: William Gumede Launches Kite’s Flight at The Book Lounge

A Kite's FlightThe Book Lounge is pleased to invite you and your little one(s) to a rather special storytime this Saturday, as Joburg-based William Gumede is flying down to launch his new kids book, Kite’s Flight.

He is of course better known for his work aimed at a slightly older readership including Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC and for co-editing The Poverty of Ideas: South African Democracy and the Retreat of Intellectuals.

William will read from Kite’s Flight at what promises to be a rather special Saturday story time.

Story time is 11am, as usual.

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Launch of William Gumede’s First Children’s Book, A Kite’s Flight, at Boekehuis

A Kite's FlightBoekehuis and Jacana Media invite all little (and big) readers to a children’s book event and storytelling on Saturday the 27th at 10am, where we are celebrating the launch of William Gumede’s first ever children’s book, A Kite’s Flight.

Gumede, who is better known as a political commentator and writer of serious books, will be debuting his book as part of the Boekehuis story hour.

See you there!

Event Details

  • Date: Saturday, 27 November 2010
  • Time: 9:30 AM for 10:00 AM
  • Venue: Boekehuis
    Corner Lothbury & Fawley streets
    Auckland Park
    Johannesburg | Map
  • RSVP: Boekehuis@boekehuis.co.za, 011 482 3609

About the Book

A Kite’s Flight is a richly illustrated book which tells the story of how Andile and his father make a beautiful kite. While flying the kite, its string breaks releasing the kite and taking readers on an epic journey across Africa. From the thundering Victoria Falls and the snow tops of Kilimanjaro, to the Sahara deserts and ancient Egyptian Pyramids, follow the kite’s flight over some of the great landmarks of Africa!

About the Author

William Gumede is Honorary Associate Professor, Graduate School of Public & Development Management (P&DM), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. He is a contributing comment writer for The Guardian, London. He was deputy editor of The Sowetan, Johannesburg. His book, Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC, (Random House Struik 2005), was a number one best-seller. He is co-editor of The Poverty of Ideas (Jacana, 2009).

A Kite’s Flight is published in 9 languages:

‘n Vlieër vlieg oor Afrika (Afrikaans); Ukubhabha kweKayiti (isiXhosa); iKhayithi Elindizayo (isiZulu); Ho fofa ha Khaete (Sesotho); Go Fofa ga Khaete (Setswana); Phofo ya Khaete (Sepedi); Kundiza kweKhayithi (Siswati); Riendzo ro haha ra khayiti (Sitsonga)

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A Heartwarming Read from the Heart of Cape Town: Taking the Cows Home by Lynne Lomofsky, André Laubscher and Reviva Schermbrucker

Taking the Cows HomeWould you believe that there is a farm in the middle of Cape Town? Ducks, geese, pigs, sheep and cows live on André’s farm, a stone’s throw from the city centre. Read about Lynne and her dog, Famous, and the day they take André’s missing cows home.

About the author:

Reviva Schermbrucker qualified as a high school art teacher, and she writes and illustrates children’s books, among which is Charlie’s House (illustrated by Niki Daly). She worked for many years as a materials developer at the Early Learning Resource Unit, producing multilingual posters, games, books and tapes for children. She has also written a novella for newly literate adults, a book on children and gardening, and a number of readers and picture books. Her first full-length novel, Lucky Fish! was published to great acclaim in 2003 by Jacana Media.

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Author information courtesy Jacana


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