“The Gift of Gold” by Dorothy Kowen and illustrated by Gillian Matthew. Published by Katha. A mythical story from South African folklore about a little girl on a quest to save her drought stricken village.
Thandi was a little girl living with her grandmother in a small village in the heart of Africa. There had been a drought in the village for many years. The people believed that their village had been cursed ever since the chief’s gold pebble had been stolen. A young man envisioned that a chameleon was their only hope of bringing the rain to the village.
Thandi wanted to be of help in the quest to find a chameleon. She managed to find one and the villagers buried him in a hole after all the chanting and dancing around him. The rain did come finally breaking the curse. Did this make Thandi happy? Had she caused the death of an innocent chameleon? What did she do next? Read the story to know more about Thandi’s life and the intriguing characters she came across.
I enjoyed reading the story with my seven year old. This was our first folk tale from Africa. Thank you for recommending this book Vidya Mani of Funky Rainbow! It is apt for children aged 6+.
Where to buy from?
The publishers Katha books here.
An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.