The Gift of Gold has all the ingredients of a classic fairy tale; a curse, a missing lucky gold pebble, an inquisitive little girl and, of course, a happy ending. The characters are South African; a traditional tribe praying for rain, a talking chameleon, and a misunderstood tokoloshe. Mathews' illustrations are gorgeous, ominous, evocative and beautiful in turn. And Kowen's tale is simply and powerfully written. The lesson is one we should all adhere to; "You should never take back a gift. A gift is a token of love. How can you take back your love?"

Here are all the ingredients of a classic fairy tale: a curse, a lucky gold pebble, an inquisitive little girl and, of course, a happy ending. The South African characters who help the girl along the way include traditional tribal people praying for rain, a friendly chameleon, and a misunderstood tokoloshe--a small ugly gremlin from African folklore.

About the Author
Dorothy Kowen was born in Zimbabwe and went to school there. She studied at the University of Cape Town and at the Sorbonne in Paris. She lectured at the University of Cape Town and teaches French at many schools in Cape Town, where she lives with her husband. She has three children and two grandchildren. Dorothy supports adult literacy initiatives and has worked to equip disadvantaged schools with libraries. She is passionate about literacy and education and continues to be enchanted and inspired by the mythology of Africa.


Book Information
ISBN 9781770097964
Author Dorothy Kowen
Format Hardback
Page Count 24
Imprint Jacana Media
Publisher Jacana Media (Pty) Ltd
Weight(grams) 500g
Dimensions(mm) 210mm * 297mm * 15mm