The Herd Boy - Hardcover

Niki Daly has written and illustrated a number of award-,winning picture books, including Pretty Salma(Clarion), Ruby Sings the Blues (Bloomsbury),and Jamela's Dress (Frances Lincoln). Niki livesin Cape Town, South Africa.,

It’s a big job for a small boy. Malusi cares for his grandfather’s sheep and goats, and this title’s dramatic, accessible images show him working barefoot in the South African veld as he shouts at the hungry baboon who hopes to grab a lamb (Hamba! Go away!), and he is careful to avoid the snake coiled up beneath the grass. His friend laughs when Malusi shares his dream of becoming president. But then one day, a big car, shiny and new, stops at the village, and the passenger (whom many will recognize as Nelson Mandela) tells the boys that, at their age, he also looked after sheep. Daly’s beautiful watercolor artwork—rendered in thick black lines and lots of red and green accents—captures the daily struggle in the poor, rural village from the child’s viewpoint as well as the beauty and the harshness of the landscape. The back matter includes a note confirming that Mandela was indeed a herd boy in his village, and a glossary that reflects the rich South African mix across cultures. Preschool-Grade 3. --Hazel Rochman