Cape Town - Set in the rural outskirts of KwaZulu-Natal, newly launched kids book, “Nandi in KwaZulu” aims to enlighten, represent, and add to the rich inherent diversity of KwaZulu.
This is according to the first time author Praline Hudson and a professional storyteller who shares her childhood memories in the fictional “Nandi in KwaZulu”.
Through this 36-page picture book Hudson, also a teacher in Barcelona in Spain, creates an eventful village with characters Nandi and Themba playing a popular game – hide and seek with Nandi being a happy “shero’’ who successfully dodges Themba and saves their friends.
Themba has to recount and try to catch the rest of the players.
This game is universal, played by all races and like the author said, the book has power to promote cultural diversity but yet unifies the nations.
“My idea was to transform my short story into a picture book, to be shared with little ones as well as not-so-little ones.
“While children will delight in the simple yet interactive language and story, they will learn about life in KwaZulu, its customs, animals, landscape, children.
“My own memories and experiences have been deliberately and precisely selected for the story precisely because of the prevalence, nowadays, of one unified and global culture.
“We are different, every one of us, yet united by one universal love, love of life, love of people, love of humanity and that’s what I hope ”Nandi in KwaZulu“ can showcase," said Hudson.
This is one of Hudson’s fond memories preserved from before 1994 – prior the permanent relocations to Barcelona in Spain.
She said it’s stories like these that have kept her heart closer to Durban from afar.
The book was published by the Fox Ediciones in 2021.
It is available at Amazon and in Ethnikids in South Africa and is being read and is suitable for kids up to seven.