A South African Night [Hardcover]

Rachel Isadora (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 14, 1998 | Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Twilight in Johannesburg sees the bustle of the city beginning to subside. Work is over, and it is time for everyone to rest. This is the time for the animals of th e Kruger National Park to hunt, graze, and cool off in the n ight air. '

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3?This simply written picture book focuses on the transition from day to night, contrasting the activities of humans in Johannesburg with those of the animals in Kruger National Park after the sun sets. First, readers see twilight in the city as stores close and people return home. Children and their parents take a stroll before dark. House lights come on as a little girl sleeps with a doll tucked close beside her. As day slides into night, the inhabitants of Kruger Park come to life. A mamba snake, lionesses, a leopard, a hippopotamus, and elephants are shown in their respective quests for food and water. With the sunrise, the animals seek shade to sleep, while in the city, flower vendors line up their goods on the streets. Isadora's vibrant watercolor illustrations are evocative of both the human bustle and the wild untamed life force of the animals; the open vistas of the park are effectively contrasted with the crowded streets. This excellent read-aloud will also serve well as a lucid concept book.?Gebregeorgis Yohannes, San Francisco Public Library, CA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 2^-5. Isadora's stirring picture book At the Crossroads (1991) about a family under apartheid was a Booklist Youth Editors' Top of the List, but Over the Green Hills (1992), also about South Africa, was more a scenic landscape than a children's story. Here, Isadora begins with glorious watercolor spreads of Johannesburg at sunset, first the broad view of skyscrapers and freeways, then close-ups of the streets and park as people go home after a long day. A small black child falls asleep in bed, and 200 miles away in the Kruger National Park, the animals begin to stir. A black mamba snake, lionesses, a hungry leopard, a hippopotamus, and an elephant and its baby are shown in dramatic sweeping paintings. Then at sunrise the animals lie down and the city wakes up. There's not really a story, but it is refreshing to have busy urban life a part of the southern African scene, and children will enjoy the exciting close-ups of animals in the wild. Hazel Rochman

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books; 1st edition (April 14, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688113893
• ISBN-13: 978-0688113896
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,626,020 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a lovely book!, July 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A South African Night (Hardcover)

I just bought this book for my grandchild and was so happy that he enjoyed it as much as myself. I am from South Africa, and was glad to find a book that showed the joy and sweetness of that country. People around the world forget that there are little children that go to sleep everynight all over S.A. and just live simple lives. The pictures were realistic and lovely and made me homesick! I think this gives my grandchild a wonderful view of an incredible country and they have brought back memories for me. Thank You

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Book, January 2, 2012

By 

mchampion70 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A South African Night (Hardcover)

I purchased this book to use with a lesson on environmental sounds in my elementary music classroom. It was a good book, but it wasn't really what I needed.