Here are some books that Nal’ibali recommends for reading to children of different ages. Remember that children develop as readers at their own pace so your child may benefit from also choosing books from the lists above or below your child’s age group.
* Books that are available in more than one South African language.
Recommended reads: 0-3 year olds
African Nursery Rhymes by Liz Mills
The Alfie books by Shirley Hughes: Alfie’s Fee; Alfie Gets in First; Alfie Gives a Hand; Annie Rose is my Little Sister
Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See by Bill Martin Jr
Busy Baby by Carole Bloch (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu and Afrikaans)*
Can you? by Carole Bloch & Wendy Hardie (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, Siswati, isiNdebele, Tshivenda, Xitsonga and Afrikaans)*
Diphoofolo by Reviva Schermbrucker (multilingual)*
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Brown
Handa’s Hen by Eileen Browne
One Bear All Alone by Caroline Bucknall
The Spotbooks by Eric Hill: Spot Bakes a Cake; Who’s there, Spot?; Where’s Spot?; Night-Night Spot
This Baby by Carole Bloch (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu and Afrikaans)*
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Tickle Tickle by Helen Oxenbury
Recommended reads: 3-9 year olds
Bears in the Night by Stan &Jan Bernstein
The Best Meal Ever by Sindiwe Magona & Paddy Bouma (also available in isiXhosa and Afrikaans)*
Books are friends by Carole Bloch & Alzette Prins (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, Siswati, isiNdebele, Tshivenda, Xitsonga and Afrikaans)*
Brenda Has a Dragon in Her Blood by Hijltje Vink & Diny can de Lustgraaf
The Cat in the Hat books by Dr Seuss: The Cat in the Hat, The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, Green Eggs and Ham
The Cool Nguni by Maryanne Bester & Shayle Bester (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, Siswati, isiNdebele, Tshivenda, Xitsonga and Afrikaans)*
The Colour of Love by Ntombizanele Nkence & Brendon Ruiters (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, Siswati, isiNdebele, Tshivenda, Xitsonga and Afrikaans)*
Dreamwalking by Bettina Schouw & Adam Carnegie
Father Snail by Xolisa Guzula & Turiya Magadlela (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, Siswati, isiNdebele, Tshivenda, Xitsonga and Afrikaans)*
Five Minutes Peace by Jill Murphy
Fynbos Fairies by Antjie Krog & Fiona Moodie (also available in Afrikaans)*
God’s Dream by Desmond Tutu, Douglas Carlton Abrams & Leuyen Pham (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, Siswati, isiNdebele, Tshivenda, Xitsonga and Afrikaans)*
The Gruffalo books by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler: The Gruffalo; The Griffalo’s Child
Handa’s Surprise by Eileen Browne
Hi, Zoleka by Gcina Mhlophe & Elizabeth Pulles (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu and Afrikaans)*
Home Now by Lesley Beake & Karen Littlewood (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana and Afrikaans)*
The Hyena and the Seven Little Kids by Carole Bloch & Hannah Morris (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana and Afrikaans)*
Isabel’s Noisy Tummy by David McKee
The Jamela books by Niki Daly: Where’s Jamela?; A Song for Jamela; Jamela’s Dress; Yebo, Jamela! (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho and Afrikaans)*
It’s Time by Carole Bloch & Nikki Jones (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, Siswati, Xitsonga and Afrikaans)*
Lulama’s Long Way Home by Marjorie van Heerden (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, Siswati, isiNdebele, Tshivenda, Xitsonga and Afrikaans)*
The Little Red Hen by Margie Orford & Karen Lilje (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana and Afrikaans)*
Lizzie Zipmouth by Jacqueline Wilson
The Magic Fish by Margie Orford & Lizza Littlewort (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana and Afrikaans)*
Mama, Papa and Baby Joe by Niki Daly
Modjadji, the Rain Queen retold by Donvé (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho and Afrikaans)*
The Noko books by Fiona Moodie: Noko’s Surprise Party; Noko and the Night Monster
One Round Moon and a Star for Me by Ingrid Mennen & Niki Daly
Ouma Ruby’s Secret by Chris van Wyk & Anneliese Voigt (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, Siswati, isiNdebele, Tshivenda, Xitsonga and Afrikaans)*
Pretty Salma by Niki Daly (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu and Afrikaans)*
A Piece of Cake by Jill Murphy
Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler (also available in Afrikaans)*
The Shadow by Thembinkosi Kohli (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, Siswati, isiNdebele, Tshivenda, Xitsonga and Afrikaans)*
Something To Do by Ann Walton & Natalie Hinrichsen (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu and Afrikaans)*
The Singing Chameleon by Gcina Mhlophe & Kalle Becker (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho and Afrikaans)*
Stars on the Dunes by Reviva Schermbrucker (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, Siswati, isiNdebele, Tshivenda, Xitsonga and Afrikaans)*
The Sun, the Moon and the Blanket of Night by Wendy Hartmann & Alzette Prins (also available in Afrikaans)*
The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Carole Bloch & Shayle Bester (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana and Afrikaans)*
Three Friends and a Taxi by Maryanne Bester & Shayle Bester (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, Siswati, isiNdebele, Tshivenda, Xitsonga and Afrikaans)*
The Ugly Duckling by Sindiwe Magona & Natalie Hinrichsen (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana and Afrikaans)*
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury
What Sam Said by Joan Rankin
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Whose Afraid of the Dark? By Dianne Stewart & Joan Rankin (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana and Afrikaans)*
The Winnie the Witch books by Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul: Winnie the Witch; Winnie’s Midnight Dragon; Winnie’s Magic Wand
The Zanzibar Roadbooks by Niki Daly: Zanzibar Road; Next Stop – Zanzibar Road (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi and Afrikaans)*
Recommended reads: 9-12 year olds
The Adventures of Pinocchiore told by Xolisa Guzula, Pamella Maseko, Ntombizanele Nkence with Reviva Scermbrucker & Alzette Prins (also available in isiXhosa and Afrikaans)*
Bettina Valentino and the Picasso Club by Niki Daly
The Captain Underpants books by Dav Pilkey: Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman; Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Creepy Street by Niki Daly (also available in Afrikaans)*
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid books by Jeff Kinney: Diary of a Wimpy Kid; Cabin Fever; The Ugly Truth
Double Act by Jacqueline Wilson
The Dove by Dianne Stewart & Jude Daly (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu and Afrikaans)*
The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
Ithemba Means Hope by Gcina Mhlophe & Phillipa Lugg
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
The Judy Moody series by Megan McDonals & Peter H. Reynolds: Judy Moody; Judy Moody Gets Famous; Jusy Moody, Girl Detective
Let There Be Peace by Jeremy Brookes & Jude Daly (also available in Afrikaans)*
The Little Girl Who Didn’t Want to Grow Up by Veronique Tadjo & Catherine Groenewald (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana and Afrikaans)*
Love, David by Dianne Case
Madiba Magic by Nelson Mandela (also available in Nguni languages version and Afrikaans)*
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl
The A Series of Unfortunate Events books by Lemony Snicket & Brett Helquist: The Bad Beginning; The Miserable Mill; The Ersatz Elevator
Stories of Africa by Gcina Mhlophe
To Everything There Is a Season by Jude Daly (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu and Afrikaans)*
The Twits by Roald Dahl
Vicky Angel by Jacqueline Wilson
The Worry Website by Jacqueline Wilson
We Are All Born Free, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures (also available in isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho and Afrikaans)*
Recommended reads: Teens
111 Colleen Court by Mogamat I Davids (also available in Afrikaans)*
Coconut by Kopano Matlwa
Dustbin Baby by Jacqueline Wilson
Girls Out Late by Jacqueline Wilson
Journey to Jo’burg by Beverly Naidoo
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
The Harmony High series, with books by various authors
The Hidden Star by K Sello Duiker
My Sister Jodie by Jacqueline Wilson
The Siyagruva series, with books by various authors: Flipside; Breaking Out; Boy in Da City; Love, Chocolate & Shopping; Dance Idols; Troubles, Taxis & Toilets (three titles are also available in isiXhosa)*
The Story of Lucky Simelane by Robin Malan
Take Me to the River by Russell Kaschula (also available in isiXhosa)*