Time to Go

by Maryanne Bester, Shayle Bester (Illustrator)

In this lyrical story from the award winning Bester sisters, a mother Wildebeest calls her child to finish playing because it is time to go. But the child is not ready. As the push and pull continues, we learn that the Wildebeest and Zebra are in fact leaving their home behind to move to a new place.

Time to Go is a story about endings and loss, yet it affirms the joys and adventures of life. To the end, the child is gently encouraged to accept the change and to embrace hope. This book quietly acknowledges the experience of displaced families and communities.

24 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

Sisters Maryanne and Shayle Bester have cooked up nine picture books together, all published by Jacana. Some of these feature Gaps, the Nguni calf, and his extended family. Others, like Three Friends and a Taxi, are light-hearted contemporary tales. Three Friends and a Taxi was a winner of the 2004 Sappi Isiqalo Book Competition and The Cool Nguni was one of the winners of the Exclusive Books IBBY SA Awards. The sisters grew up on a Free State farm but now live in Gauteng with an assortment of family and animals. All their stories draw on their deep affection for the people, places and eccentricities of Africa. (source: Jacana Media)

Reviews

[lethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moving story (no pun intended).