1.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Daly, Niki. 2012. The Herd Boy. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 978080285417.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Malusi is a young boy who lives in a village in South Africa and spends his days watching his grandfather's sheep and goats. His friend Lungisa and his friend's dog, Koko, join him for most of the day. As they are eating a lunch Malusi's sister brought to them, they discuss what they want to be when they grow up. Malusi dreams of being president, and although his friend laughs, his sister believes in him. Malusi's herd is threatened by baboons, and even though Koko comes to the rescue, one lamb is injured. As Malusi carries the injured one back home, a sleek, black car with a rich man inside stops to talk to the boys. When he asks them what they want to be, Lungisa answers for Malusi, and the man states that one who looks with such care after his herd would make a great leader. The story ends with Malusi falling asleep with dreams of becoming just that.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The story line in The Herd Boy is simple and yet fascinating as it shows the daily life of a child in rural modern South Africa. Children will relate to the idea of doing chores, playing with friends, and interacting with family. However, the details of how Malusi spends his day tending sheep under the harsh sun in a dusty, craggy area of South Africa will draw readers into a world that is most likely very different from their own.
Daly, Niki. 2012. The Herd Boy. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 978080285417.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Malusi is a young boy who lives in a village in South Africa and spends his days watching his grandfather's sheep and goats. His friend Lungisa and his friend's dog, Koko, join him for most of the day. As they are eating a lunch Malusi's sister brought to them, they discuss what they want to be when they grow up. Malusi dreams of being president, and although his friend laughs, his sister believes in him. Malusi's herd is threatened by baboons, and even though Koko comes to the rescue, one lamb is injured. As Malusi carries the injured one back home, a sleek, black car with a rich man inside stops to talk to the boys. When he asks them what they want to be, Lungisa answers for Malusi, and the man states that one who looks with such care after his herd would make a great leader. The story ends with Malusi falling asleep with dreams of becoming just that.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The story line in The Herd Boy is simple and yet fascinating as it shows the daily life of a child in rural modern South Africa. Children will relate to the idea of doing chores, playing with friends, and interacting with family. However, the details of how Malusi spends his day tending sheep under the harsh sun in a dusty, craggy area of South Africa will draw readers into a world that is most likely very different from their own.
Seamlessly
interwoven into the text are non-English words, the meaning of which
can be easily inferred from context clues and visuals. A glossary in
the back of the book can help confirm meanings of words and also
tells where these words originate from (e.g. Xhosa, Afrikaans,
German, etc.). By putting these words into the text, readers get a
feel for language in South Africa that draws them beyond the
storyline.
The South African culture is beautifully depicted through Daly's illustrations. The art is done in mostly earth tones, so that the beauty of a few vibrant flowers, the red blanket Malusi wears, and the final page showing Malusi's dream stand out. With close inspection of each page, readers can find even more information about the South African culture from how they cook to how they pen up the animals. The final spread showing Malusi's dream of being president illustrates the diversity of the South African population as skin colors and shades vary greatly.
The underlying message of pursuing dreams no matter what your beginnings are like is emphasized by an author's note that mentions many leaders who started out as humble sheep herders, including Nelson Mandela (who is surely the rich man in the black car). An overarching theme of hope is embodied in this excellent picture book that shows that there is nothing wrong with dreaming far beyond where we are currently at.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
The South African culture is beautifully depicted through Daly's illustrations. The art is done in mostly earth tones, so that the beauty of a few vibrant flowers, the red blanket Malusi wears, and the final page showing Malusi's dream stand out. With close inspection of each page, readers can find even more information about the South African culture from how they cook to how they pen up the animals. The final spread showing Malusi's dream of being president illustrates the diversity of the South African population as skin colors and shades vary greatly.
The underlying message of pursuing dreams no matter what your beginnings are like is emphasized by an author's note that mentions many leaders who started out as humble sheep herders, including Nelson Mandela (who is surely the rich man in the black car). An overarching theme of hope is embodied in this excellent picture book that shows that there is nothing wrong with dreaming far beyond where we are currently at.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
- USBBY's Outstanding International Book List 2013
- Horn Book Starred: "Throughout the story, Daly provides a palpable feel for daily life in modern rural South Africa, from tending livestock to collecting dung pebbles. . . . Thoughtful pacing allows for appreciation of both the tale's action and its quieter moments."
- Kirkus Reviews: "Affectionate and existential, Daly has well and fully caught Malusi's immediate circumstance and his horizons."
- School Library Journal: "This is a touching, eloquent story about a young boy who could be any child. Filled with hope and promise, it will inspire children to embrace their place in life and dream big."
5. CONNECTIONS
- Ask students to find similarities and differences between their lives and Malusi's. Before they do so, have them predict how many similarities versus how many differences they think they will find. Create a T-graph on which students put on one side what they have in common and on the other side what is different. Ask students to look back at their predictions on how many similarities and differences they would have. Discuss why they were wrong or wright with these predictions.
- This book would be an excellent follow-up for a study on Nelson Mandela as students could use their newly gained background knowledge on him to infer who the man in the black car is. A study on Mandela could include Mandela's autobiography, A Long Walk to Freedom, in its abridged picture book form (abridged by Chris Van Wyk and illustrated by Paddy Bouma). Kid World Citizen also gives extensive information on this book as well as guidance on teaching about Mandela.
- Look further at what it takes to raise sheep through Sheep101.info. This site will show students the basics of raising sheep in modern American today. After looking at sheepherding, ask students to answer Niki Daly's final question in the author's note: “What is there in the life of a herd boy that would help prepare him to become the shepherd of a nation?”.
- Other picture books about South Africa:
Javaherbin,
Mina.
Goal!.
Ill.
by A.G.
Ford.
ISBN:
9780763658229.
Mennen, Ingrid and Niki Daly. Somewhere in Africa. Ill. by Nicolaas Martiz. ISBN: 9780140562422.
Mennen, Ingrid and Niki Daly. Somewhere in Africa. Ill. by Nicolaas Martiz. ISBN: 9780140562422.
Sisulu, Elinor Batezat. The Day Gogo Went to Vote. Ill. by Sharon Wilson.. ISBN: 9780316702713.
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