South African succulents are on the decline, and Vetplant Fairies brings them to life through magical illustration and poetry. Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, sparkling in the Spring sunshine, provided a backdrop for the launch of the children’s book – intended to be read by all ages.
Renowned Cape Town-based poets, Antjie Krog and Ingrid de Kok, joined forces with illustrator Fiona Moodie to create a fantasy world that is recognisably South African. The book comes fifteen years after the release of Fynbos Fairies, Krog and Moodie’s introduction to the land of creatures that live amongst our fynbos.
The book is available in both English and Afrikaans, although the process was different from a usual translation operation. The writing was collaborative, with both versions being composed almost simultaneously. As poets usually work alone, De Kok expressed that this was an unusual experience. The authors would translate some content, and rework and adjust other pieces. Moodie even modified her artwork at times to complement something the words expressed.
The artistic process differed this time around, says Moodie, as she moved away from her original watercolour works to digital illustrations. Her drawings are botanically accurate, and are helpful in assisting children to recognise the plants around them. Perfect for budding explorers living in Cape Town.
The authors believe that it’s important for children to learn the names of plants that they might encounter in our South African landscape, making the content functional as well as fun. The book offers useful insights, such as how to deal with poisonous plants, and funny characters, like Prickle Gnomes and Aloe Acrobats.
Vetplant Fairies creates a shared space through its reading, and connects South Africans of all ages to our land via sounds, rhythms and words that are both quirky and memorable.
Vetplant Fairies and Vetplantfeetjies are on sale for R220 at Exclusive Books and Wordsworth, and can also be ordered via Takealot, Loot and Graffiti Books.
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Picture: Supplied
