IBBY Honour books:

Van Wyk, Chris Ouma Ruby se geheim ( Giraffe books, 2006) Illustrated by Anneliese Voigt-Peters.

Ouma Ruby’s secret is our IBBYSA Honour book for illustration. Chris van Wyk wrote a memoir of growing up in Riverlea in Johannesburg, Shirley, goodness and mercy, and this story is taken from that book. He has rewritten, for a young audience, a story about his beloved grandmother Ruby. He loved visiting her house in Coronation with the fruit trees in the yard. One day he meets his Ouma in town where she buys him two books for his birthday. With her birthday 2 weeks later, he writes a letter which he wants her to read out loud . She made the excuse that she did not have her glasses with her. Then his mother took him aside and quietly told him that Grandmother Ruby cannot read. This gentle, very real story is sensitively illustrated in fine watercolours by Anneliese Voigt-Peters. Her images capture the essence of Johannesburg- the neighbourhood and houses and the extended van Wyk family inhabiting the boy’s world. A book to be treasured as a fine example of how an illustrator who knows her material and the environment in which the story takes place, can produce illustrations typically South African in a quiet reassuring manner. She is highly applauded for this little gem of a book, and we proudly selected this book as our Honour book for illustration.

Honour book for Afrikaans writing:

Suurlemoen! : ‘n storie oor rock, liefde en ‘n tuinkabouter (LAPA, 2007)

Suurlemoen is ‘n waardige keuse as n IBBYSA Honour boek vir skryfwerk in Afrikaans. Jaco Jacobs het hier daarin geslaag om op oortuigende wyse ‘n regte, egte tienerverhaal te vertel. Die sestienjarige Tiaan Fourie is die hoofkarakter. Saam met sy partner in crime, die baskitaarspeler en moeillkheidmaker, Zane le Roux word hulle aangemoedig om hulle band vir die Rumoer-kompetisie in te skryf deur die musiekonderwyser, Mnr Marx .So word die band Suurlemoen op ‘n onkonvensionle wyse gebore. Hulle kry uiteindelik toe ‘n vocalist en ‘n drummer - Bongi op dromme, en Liezl, die mooiste meisie in die skool, op vocals. Hierdie ruwe diamant, Suurlemoen, betree nou drie maande van klasverf, bloedsweet, hard oefen, idees vorm op Post-It-plakkers, lliefde, jaloesie en senuwees. Jaco Jacobs het ‘n lewendige, vermaaklike en genuine jeugverhaal geskep met genoeg opwinding en humor en ‘n sterk spanningselement om jong lesers te vermaak. Die karaktes is werklik tieners; die styl lig, gemakllik en onderhoudend. ‘n Graad 9 leerling aan Hoerskool Jan van Riebeeck gesels so oor die boek: “ Dit werk vir my. Ek wou die boek nie neersit nie.” Die kort hoofstukke het hom nuuskierig gemaak om verder te lees. “Die fotos, skribbel-gedeeltes en Post-it-plakkers waarop Tiaan notas vir homself skryf, is nogal cool. Dit laat die blaaie lewendig lyk”. Hierdie notas aan self bevat heerlike brokkies wyshede en kwinkslae, bv. “ Parykeer is die malste Maandag van jou lewe en die beste Maandag van jou lewe en die aakligste Maandag van jou lewe presies dieselfde dag.”! Jaco Jacobs word geluk gewens met ‘n oortuigende leesbare en toeganklike jeugverhaal.

Lona Gericke