Mr Hare meets Mr Mandela

by Chris van Wyk, Paddy Bouma (Illustrator)

‘Van Wyk said he wanted to be read by everyone; by those about whom he wrote and by those who found his own culture foreign; he chose to write in several genres because “I could”.’ – Mail & Guardian, Maureen Isaacson ‘Kids loved him [Chris van Wyk] – he visited schools all around the country to tell stories and get kids reading. He simply captivated them.’ – Daily Maverick, J Brooks Spector Mr Hare meets Mr Mandela is one of the last stories Chris van Wyk wrote before he died and it originally appeared in Sunday Times 10 South African Stories for Children. Mr Hare finds a R200 note on his doorstep. When he turns the note over he sees Mr Mandela’s face and decides to brave the big city of Johannesburg to return it to Mr Mandela. But Mr Hare cannot read and he comes across many people along the way who want to get their hands on Mr Mandela’s money. Mr Hare also cannot work out why the note keeps changing colour! The book is available in English, Afrikaans, isiXhosa and isiZulu.

32 pages, Paperback

Published July 2, 2018

Reviews

[Emily Lowe]

Sweet story, the real plot twist is when Bra Tstosi returns 50 ZAR to Mr Hare.

[Marritt Claassens]

Who said children's books aren't for adults! "A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest" - C.S. Lewis.

This is a delightful book with beautiful illustrations by one of my favourite South African authors. Chris Van Wyk possessed the skill to write for and read to any audience. In this book Mr Hare, who cannot read, finds a banknote with Mr Mandela's face on it. He assumes it belongs to Madiba and promptly decides to return it. As he journeys from the African bush forest to the City of Readers he meets colourful characters along the way who all want to lay their hands on the money.

[Faathimah Bookmark My World]

This was the perfect bedtime story for my girls, and since smally is learning all about money now in Grade R, it was definitely an interesting lesson as well!
We loved exploring with Mr Hare and his reactions to how the note kept changing!
And obviously, having the person on our money show up in a book was thrilling for the kids as well!
That ending had them giggling so so much, and this will definitely be a frequent request as a bedtime story