Village Bridge by Andre Proctor, and several picture books by Margaret Tredgold (for
example, The Hare in the Moon) have proved popular. The internationally accepted
‘Jafta’ books by Hugh Lewin originated with the Zimbabwe Publishing House.
Publishing for children in Namibia is a fairly recent innovation, but the vigorous
support of the Namibian Children’s Book Forum has led to a growing number of
indigenous picture books, easy readers and folk-tales. Notable among these have been
Leonard the Land-Rover (1984) by Liz McClain and Ginny Brain, Monyenyane (1992), an
African Cinderella story by Jennifer Davis, and the surge of inexpensive little books
created by a workshop collective (using local writers and illustrators) called New
Namibia Books.
The country which has been the most prolific publisher of books for children in the
African continent is South Africa. For political (as well as economic) reasons, these have
not become available in other African countries. Though for years South Africa might be
thought to produce only white-written books for white children, this has not been totally
true. The English-speaking white population has been among the most liberal thinking
in that country, and many fine books with a genuine African setting have been
published there. For example, the percentage of children’s fiction with a black central
character in recent years has been: 1990:43 per cent, 1991:49 per cent, 1992:54 per
cent, with a marked increase of black authors writing for children (Heale 1993:12). In
the latter field are such acknowledged names as Es’kia Mphahlele (for example, Father
Come Home (1984)) and Njabulo Ndabele (for example, Bonolo and the Peach Tree
(1992)). Many South African authors and illustrators have had children’s books
published internationally, including Niki Daly, Marguerite Poland, Paddy Bouma, Lesley
Beake and Maretha Maartens.
South African children’s publishing in English reached a peak with 134 titles
published during 1987, and has been sliding back each year since (1990:104; 1991: 82;
1992:68). The major publishers are Tafelberg, Human and Rousseau, Daan Retief,
Maskew Miller Longman and David Philip, and quite a few children’s books are
optimistically published privately each year. Jenny Seed has remained the most prolific
writer, with many acclaimed historical novels (for example, The Great Thirst (1971) and
Place Among the Stones (1987)). Other local favourites have included The Mantis and the
Moon (1979), new folk-style animal tales by Marguerite Poland; The Strollers (1988),
about the street children of Cape Town by Lesley Beake; Not So Fast, Songololo (1985), a
picture book about a modern urban African boy by Niki Daly, and Child in Darkness
(1985), a poignant subterranean fantasy by Robert Hill. Stories written by the
accomplished story-teller Gcina Mhlophe (for example, The Singing Dog) have found wide
readership. Coverage of Southern African children’s literature is kept up to date by the
magazine Bookchat which was founded in 1976 by Jay Heale. The acceptance (in 1992)
of South Africa as a national section of IBBY—represented by the Southern African
Children’s Book Forum—has done much to boost local publishing pride.
South Africa is on the brink of a new constitution and a fresh educational
dispensation. There is already a strong emphasis on literacy (for non-literate adults as
well as underprivileged children) and local publishers are hoping that money will be
found for improved library provision as well. The READ Organisation having already done
admirable work in providing libraries in black schools, has now launched its own ‘Little
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