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Jafta
Meet Jafta, a little boy growing up in an African village, who describes some of his everyday moods and feelings by comparing his actions to those of various animals. Filled with vibrant illustrations and clever similes, the book will transport young readers to the beautiful environs of African wilderness. Early readers will find themselves reading aloud to this delightful story.
24 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1988
About the author
Hugh Lewin
28 books3 followersHugh Lewin (1939 – 16 January 2019) was a South African anti-apartheid activist and writer.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 4, 2013
Jafta is one of seven Hugh Lewin books which follow the life and experiences of a young South African boy, providing children with and insight into a rural African home and lifestyle. In this particular book the reader is introduced to an amazing variety of animals, specifically those found in the African wilderness, as Jafta takes on the characteristics of the animals he meets in exploration of his physical prowess, moods, feelings and desires.
This book is perfect for early readers. The short, but simple words accompanied with beautiful brown and white illustrations, drawn by Lisa Kopper, Jafta provides good opportunities to introduce descriptive writing, sentence structures using connectives and the use of simile. Using this text in the classroom allows children to begin to discuss how they would describe their own emotions, therefore enhancing their Social and Emotional aspects of Learning (SEAL). The model of the visually well scaffolded text could be used for children to construct their own version using animals familiar to them.
The cross-curricular links for this book are Mathematics, Drama, and Geography. By discussing the animals Jafta meets in more detail, the comparison of height and weight can be introduced as well as the discussion of where in the world these animals can be found. Children can also be given the opportunity to physically act out the descriptions included in the text; for example, when Jafta is happy he sometimes likes to jump like an Impala and dance like a Zebra. This would be of benefit to children who are kinaesthetic learners who may struggle with an auditory or visual approach to the text.
Although simple, this book has endless educational value and is perfect for a comparison to English culture!
This book is perfect for early readers. The short, but simple words accompanied with beautiful brown and white illustrations, drawn by Lisa Kopper, Jafta provides good opportunities to introduce descriptive writing, sentence structures using connectives and the use of simile. Using this text in the classroom allows children to begin to discuss how they would describe their own emotions, therefore enhancing their Social and Emotional aspects of Learning (SEAL). The model of the visually well scaffolded text could be used for children to construct their own version using animals familiar to them.
The cross-curricular links for this book are Mathematics, Drama, and Geography. By discussing the animals Jafta meets in more detail, the comparison of height and weight can be introduced as well as the discussion of where in the world these animals can be found. Children can also be given the opportunity to physically act out the descriptions included in the text; for example, when Jafta is happy he sometimes likes to jump like an Impala and dance like a Zebra. This would be of benefit to children who are kinaesthetic learners who may struggle with an auditory or visual approach to the text.
Although simple, this book has endless educational value and is perfect for a comparison to English culture!
July 1, 2020
Jafta is a darling boy who describes his feelings through the movements and actions of animals. Fans of the animal kingdom will adore this way of talking about emotions. The text is simple enough for toddlers but would also lend itself well to a discussion about similes with elementary schoolers. I love the muted palette of the illustrations and relatable topic. A fun, meaningful read aloud to share with children.
December 3, 2024
Read this in the isiZulu version. I must say that I preferred it in isiZulu, not English. UJafta umfanyana ohlakaniphile!
November 17, 2011
Let’s travel to a very different continent, for this story, set in South Africa. The author, Hugh Lewin, was born in South Africa and served a seven-year prison sentence for his opposition to apartheid. After being released he moved to England (where he raised his family) and later to Zimbabwe. The Jafta series grew out of his desire to share something of his homeland with his girls.
Once again there is a power in the simplicity of this book, that will capture kids’ attention, as they will so readily relate to Jafta, even though he comes from such a different culture. Lewin expresses the array of little Jafta’s moods, feelings and desires, by pages of similes, with joyful illustrations in brown and white to match, the text. When Jafta is happy, he purrs like a lion cub or skips like a spider. He wants to be as strong as a rhino or as quick as an ostrich. When he is cross, which is rare, Jafta grumbles like a warthog! Truly this short story transported me back to a special six month period I spent near Cape Town. Young children will want to leaf through this book many times after having it read aloud.
Once again there is a power in the simplicity of this book, that will capture kids’ attention, as they will so readily relate to Jafta, even though he comes from such a different culture. Lewin expresses the array of little Jafta’s moods, feelings and desires, by pages of similes, with joyful illustrations in brown and white to match, the text. When Jafta is happy, he purrs like a lion cub or skips like a spider. He wants to be as strong as a rhino or as quick as an ostrich. When he is cross, which is rare, Jafta grumbles like a warthog! Truly this short story transported me back to a special six month period I spent near Cape Town. Young children will want to leaf through this book many times after having it read aloud.
March 16, 2009
Really beautiful illustrations, accessible for the young child.
July 1, 2009
This is a cute picture book, illustrated in muted sepia tones, comparing Jafta's moods and feelings with that of various creatures. Short, interesting, and fun to read aloud with children.
November 19, 2010
A great little book for read aloud to young children and toddlers. You could use it in a discussion of feelings or emotions and animals as well.
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March 30, 2017Jafta is a young boy presumably living in rural South Africa. He compares his different emotional states to animals; moving, stretching, laughing, exploring, stomping -- a nice window through which kids can explore their own emotional states. This is definitely staying in the collection and apparently it's part of a series so I'm going to read as many of the other books as I can.
The author of this series, Hugh Lewin, was a member of the African Resistance Movement and served a seven year prison sentence for his activities in opposition to apartheid. That doesn't come through in this book; but it's interesting that in addition to books about his time in prison and his political activism, he wrote this charming kid's book.
The author of this series, Hugh Lewin, was a member of the African Resistance Movement and served a seven year prison sentence for his activities in opposition to apartheid. That doesn't come through in this book; but it's interesting that in addition to books about his time in prison and his political activism, he wrote this charming kid's book.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews