My friend gives me special feelings – like a sister. She makes me feel happy. She plans surprises like birthday parties. She is respectful of me and my family. But one day we had a fight! We were talking and one of us said something about someone else. It sounded to me as if it […]
When I had a fight with my friend Read More »
First published in the ReadRight educational supplement of the Sunday Times. Commissioned and published in book form by the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa in 2009 Children have a great deal to say and a great deal to offer. In a series of workshops that were designed to give them a voice, stories
My Story, Our Stories – stories by the children of South Africa Read More »
On Saturday 14th June children in Clanwilliam remembered the children and young people who were part of the freedom struggle in South Africa, particularly those involved in the Soweto uprising that will be commemorated on Youth Day, 16th June. We read stories from a book of children’s writing that was commissioned by the Parliament of
Saturday Stories for Youth Day Read More »
A retelling of a story from southern Nigeria In the very old days, everybody lived in the same village. Everybody, that was, except Moon and Sun. They had to live in the sky so that the rest could see what was going on. But everyone else – rain, wind, rainbows; ice – they lived in
Thunder and Lightning make bad neighbours Read More »
When I had a fight with my friend, I was very sad. But we made friends again. In the classroom we are good friends and then we play together outside and are happy. We talk a lot! Writing and text by Luchane (Grade 3)
Fighting – and friends again Read More »
As part of the run-up to the July music workshop at Living Landscape in Clanwilliam, children from Sederberg Primary, Elizabethfontein Primary and Augsberg Primary brush up on their clapping games. Part of the workshop will invole clapping patterns, combined with humming, singing sounds and the sound of the rock gongs.
The Saturday Stories group at Living Landscape in Clanwilliam, had a challenging time of it when they had to write about the music they love (Justin Bieber was mentioned) and what music means to them. The challenge came with writing from large to small (or the other way round) and on black with white (or
Writing it big!: Musical thoughts Read More »
croc E is a special part of CBN workshops. When he starts getting into his ‘Disaster Management: Poet’ overall and puts on his poet’s hat, children sit up and take notice. He speaks to them softly, and they listen. He uses words in a way that fascinates them. He presents ideas that make them think.
Who are we? The CBN team revealed: croc E Moses Read More »
On Saturday, a huge truck pulled up at Living Landscape project in Clanwilliam. It brought carefully selected ringing rocks from the Karoo – rock gongs – that will soon become part of a major CBN and University of Cape Town initiative. https://www.childrensbook.co.za/news/2014/06/04/cbn-books-and-music-project Children in Clanwilliam have already begun experimenting with the sounds of the smaller
The Big Gongs have arrived! Read More »
Clanwilliam children today struck the first notes on the small ringing rocks we brought from the Karoo a few weeks ago. They took to it like experts and were fascinated by the concept, the sounds – and the idea that this could become part of making music in other ways as well. The larger rock
Getting ready for the gongs! Read More »
By Michael Williams, from the Cambridge University Press Rainbow Readers, published in 2009. Kenny just has to drum to the rhythm he hears inside his head all the time. He makes a UDI (Ultimate Drumming Instrument) and then decides to have a band. Review by Deoni We only just started this story, but I like
Kenny Kazoo and the Lilacs Read More »
A book of poems compiled by Ezra Benjamin and Petra-Jane Sinclair, from the Cambridge University Press Rainbow Readers, published in 2009. Review by Esther at Clanwilliam Saturday Stories I like these poems about rain and sun, summer and winter. I think people who enjoy summer OR winter will enjoy these poems. Image: Deoni reading from
In July, CBN will begin its most ambitious project to date. It involves two four-day workshops, one in Clanwilliam with children from the Cederberg district, and one in Simon’s Town with children from Red Hill informal settlement. The theme is expansive, ranging from early people (by way of early music) to state-of-the-art technology in the
The CBN Books and Music project Read More »
2 Phumla Gqoboka: Web Management The website you are looking at has a fairly complex and very time-consuming structure that makes it work. Hundreds of pictures, dozens of articles – the Facebook and Twitter accounts – all of this requires dedicated, steady work to make it happen. Phumla has been with us since the beginning
Who are we? The CBN Team revealed Read More »
Jay Heale celebrates the unsung heroines in the background of two very, very good picture books. I’m going to tell you about four ladies in the world of South African children’s literature. One of them in particular, though they work as a team. ​At the helm of the picture book production of Human & Rousseau
A Quartet of ladies Read More »
On Saturday 31 May, Clanwilliam children took to the sun on a very cold day to read and enjoy (and review) stories about music. The books were supplied by Cambridge University Press and are part of their Rainbow reading Series, which we use extensively in CBN workshops. Reviews are under CHILDREN/Reviews on this website. This
Stories in the sun Read More »
A Neighbours Story from the Cambridge University Press Rainbow Readers, published in 2009. The children in the street hatch a plan to help Tiny dance with Dudu at the street party. Lovely illustrations by Ian Lusted, Review by Emarentia at Clanwilliam Saturday Stories I like this story because it is funny! The people in it
Sisters, By Lesley Beake, with illustrations by Beverley de Meyer, Cambridge University Press Rainbow Readers, published in 2009. This very simple story has very few words and tells the story, mostly through the illustrations, of an older sister who looks after her young sibling – with no adults around. Elzaine said: This is a sad
What is a rock gong? Sometimes called Ringing Rocks, these are features of the landscape in the Karoo and many other places worldwide. Put simply, they are rocks that ring when struck with another rock. There is evidence, in peck marks on the sides of some rocks, that some of them have been struck many,
Children’s Book Network and the Rock Gong project: Read More »
During April and May 2014, we focused on an out-of-Africa story. We wanted to focus on imagination and how books can take readers anywhere in the world of ideas. We abridged the book to make the language simpler – text can be found at: https://www.childrensbook.co.za/news/2014/05/28/snow-goose-theme-book-clanwilliam-and-red-hill For anyone wishing to do a similar workshop, here are
