Welcome to the grasslands of South Africa where Malusi, a small boy, looks after the herd of sheep and goats belonging to his grandfather. He rises at dawn and by the time the animals under his charge reach the grazing area, the sun is hot beneath his bare feet. Malusi has been told that you have to stay alert and be brave as a herd boy. But as he tells his best friend, he has dreams of being president of his country.
Niki Daly has created an engaging and intriguing children's picture book for kids 6 through 10 years of age. She transports us to a faraway place and then drops us into the life and duties of a responsible young boy. Does Malusi have the character qualities which could make him a leader? We take note of his enjoyment of being alone, his curiosity about dung beetles, his fending off a hungry baboon whose prey is a baby lamb, and his looking after this little one when he is injured. After his hard day of work, Malusi meets a very special guest.
Daly's top-drawer writing and illustrations of South Africa make this a perfect vehicle for the promotion of cross-cultural understanding.
