My First Book of Southern African Mammals by Peter Apps with illustrations by Jennifer Schaum

At last! A guide book for children that actually make sense – and one that should appeal to the great majority of South Africans – because it’s written in English, Afrikaans, Zulu and Xhosa. Each of the 58 species listed has a page of its own with a brief description of its habits and food; there’s a full colour painting of the animal and a black-and-white cartoon note showing the animal’s size relative to a man’s, its diurnal or nocturnal habits, its food sources and its spoor.

I’m going to be giving a copy of this book to Natie, my grandson. We’ll love it together, I know – and both of us’ll learn something from it. And you should have a copy in your library for any tots (say 3 – 7 years old) who visit – because, of course, your establishment IS child-friendly, is it not?

Buy it here.