The words ‘Jay Heale’ and ‘children’s books’ go together like, well, like Piglet and Pooh. Following a distinguished career doing just about everything in books – from writing them to selling them – Jay has decided to quieten things down and do a little more gentle reading of his own after retiring to Napier in […]
A less exacting role – and a donation for CBN Read More »
Over the past eight months – and with a run up for six months before that, CBN has been working with the children of the Cederberg on a series of workshops considering the million-year heritage of the valley of the Olifants River. This series of ten workshops (some of them four days in duration) was
Final Time in the Valley workshop Read More »
CBN is about books, but we also hope that the children we work with are inspired to dream their own dreams and set their sights high. Many of our facilitators are, in their own lives, examples of doing just that. Here is a picture of what it looks like when a dream comes true. The
This is what dreams look like Read More »
Nearly four years ago, Children’s Book Network gave a workshop at Red Hill informal settlement above Simon’s Town. This was at the instigation of a group of Swedish librarians – and a drama teacher – who were interested in projects to do with reading and encouraging children to love books. They not only encouraged what
The project that wanted to fly … Read More »
The story of the book Fly, Eagle, Fly! presented by Jay Heale Fly, Eagle, Fly! has become the most famous picture-book story in South African children’s literature. It has a past, a present, and probably a long future. PASTThe basic story was used as a parable by the Ghanaian preacher James Aggrey, who was born
This is the song of welcome sung by Red Hill children at the triumphant arrival of Johan Wiklund after his epic flight from northern Scandinavia. The words are by Lesley Beake and the song was workshopped by Blaq Pearl, with assistance from Rosemary Bangham. We are the children of Red Hill Children are the future!
Three years ago, in a CBN workshop given at Red Hill informal settlement, Michael Buwa wrote about his dream. His dream was to fly. Yesterday that dream came true. This is what he said: ‘It was wonderful when I was flying, and so beautiful … I was very excited and a little bit afraid, Johan
The boy who wanted to fly Read More »
Delighted doesn’t come near what we felt when Leif Lindquist, on behalf of four Rotary Clubs in Skellefteä, presented CBN with a most beautiful piece of card with the words R220 000 printed on it! This amount of money is the result of very hard work in Skellefteä, where CBN has been the focus of
Wonderful donation to CBN from Sweden Read More »
Several dreams came true yesterday in an emotional day of welcome and much thanksgiving for CBN and our friends from Sweden and Rotary International. If you have been watching this website, you will have noticed the escalating excitement as a small plane (a 1935 De Havilland 60 Moth biplane flown from Stockholm Barkarby Airport to
Dreams do come true … Read More »
Johan Wiklund is on his way on the last short hop to Cape Town. CBN is ready to meet him! This flight from northern Scandinavia to the very tip of Africa is an amazing inspiration to our children here in South Africa. There will be press coverage in many newspapers both here, in Sweden and
One little aeroplane! Read More »
On Saturday 24th October at 3.10 pm, Swedish pilot Johan Wiklund will land his Moth bi-plane in Stellenbosch having completed an epic flight across Europe and Africa from northern Scandinavia. Children’s Book Network will be there to meet him and to sing a special song of welcome after his incredible adventure. We are giving a
Cape To Cape Flight Read More »
Although ‘officially’ retired, Jay Heale continues to grace us with an excellent newsletter for which we are very grateful. Please find the latest attached below.
Bookchat Newsletter 211 Read More »
Red Hill children will be examining the concept of Courage – in life as well as in small aeroplanes – on the morning of Saturday 24th October. The workshop is in association with the landing of a historic flight being made by Johan Wiklund in a De Havilland 60 Moth biplane from Stockholm to Cape
A Workshop on Courage Read More »
CBN will hold a workshop on the afternoon of Thursday 15th October at Clanwilliam Living Landscape project as part of the Heritage Symposium being held in Clanwilliam between 15th and 17th October. This workshop will be an opportunity to show the work the children have done during an intensive year of workshops (ten workshops in
Clanwilliam Heritage Workshop Read More »
CBN first heard about the Cape to Cape project when one of our Rotarian friends, Leif Sundqvist, visited us from Skellefteä. He described an adventure that our children would love to be part of – and they are going to be. Children from Red Hill informal settlement will welcome the pilot of a Moth (early
CBN, a historic flight and a generous donation Read More »
Two workshops and a small party! Winter is the main focus for CBN workshops, when the temperature is right and the holiday is long. The school holidays are the perfect time for four-day workshops and getting a serious amount of work done and a serious number of books read. We call them workshops, but our
Time and the Valley – Primary School Read More »
It is wonderful to see how children begin to form a group and to trust and accept the facilitators. Once the initial shyness has worn off, of course, it gets more difficult to command attention – but these workshops are in school holidays and are voluntary. Part of what we want to achieve is building
Time and the Valley – Days 3 & 4 Read More »
We continue! Twenty-four children attended the second day of a four-day workshop for younger children on the theme of archaeology and the Olifants River Valley (Time and the Valley). We began (after much-needed hot chocolate on a very old morning) by introducing new CBN facilitator Nadia Woodward and welcoming Anele Mhlahlo back once again. Books
Second day of Time and the Valley for Primary School Read More »
Today was the first day of a four-day workshop for younger children on the theme of archaeology and the Olifants River Valley. We began with the delightful stories of Christopher Houghton – which had nothing to do with archaeology at all, but which meant we could sit and laugh in the sun on a freezing
First day of Time and the Valley for Primary School Read More »
A small, but important workshop will be held for new readers on Tuesday 14th July. This will be at the same time as the bigger workshop for Grade 4,5,6 & 7 that will take place fro 13th to 16th July and will need community support and helpers This event has been asked for by a
By special request! Read More »
