Art Books

Daar was eendag... lank gelede, of miskien gister eers... 'n legendariese berg. Niemand wat teen die berg uitgeklim het, was ooit weer soos voorheen nie. Gevolglik is almal in die land te bang om teen die berg uit te klim. Mense vermy dit selfs om naby die berg te kom.

Ten spyte daarvan wil iemand opklim. Maar reeds aan die voet van die berg verwelkom 'n bordjie hom waarop geskryf staan: "Sien, as jy kan." - Die man steek vas, maar gaan dan tog verder en begin om tree vir tree na die pad onder sy voete te kyk.

"Die Ruwe Berg" is die gelykenis van 'n boekkunstenaar.

South Africa has the richest and most diverse grouping of succulents in the world.
"Vetplant Fairies" is a collection of verse for children about indigenous succulents and the imaginary beings who live among them, written by two of our finest poets, Ingrid de Kok and Antjie Krog. The book is beautifully illustrated in full colour by Fiona Moodie in the sam spirit as "Fynbos Fairies", its hugely succesful predecessor. The scientific name for each plant is included in this enchanting new calssic.

It is for its fynbos - fine-leaved, shrub-like vegetation - that the southwestern and southern Cape has been named one of the world's six plant kingdoms: the Cape Floral Kingdom. At less than 90 000 square kilometres, it is the smallest floral kingdom on earth. Yet it is home to 8 600 plant species, some 5 000 if which occur nowhere else in the world.

Fynbos is a mixture of four plant types: protea shrubs, heath-like ericas, reed-like restios and different bulbous plants. The Cape Floral Kingdom contains 69 of the world's 112 proteas, 526 of its 740 ericas and, among bulbous plants, 96 of the world's 160 gladiolus species. Table Mountain alone boasts almost 1 500 fynbos species.

With "Fynbos Fairies", Antjie Krog and Fiona Moodie, both of whom regularly walk on the slopes of Table Mountain, pay homage to one of the natural wonders of the world. Inspired by Cicely Mary Barker's "A World of Flower Fairies", Antjie began the process by writing poems that each featured a plant and at least one imaginary little being.

Fiona meticulously researched the features of each plant, insect and little animal depicted in these pages. The fairies and other imaginary beings in these pages are her own creations, but the flowers and creatures she copied from nature.

Dit is omrede sy fynbos - die smalblaar-, struikagtige plantegroei van die streek - dat die suidwestelike en suid-Kaap benoem is as een van die wêreld se ses planteryke: die Kaapse Blommeryk. Met 'n oppervlakte van minder as 90 000 vierkante kilometer is dit die kleinste planteryk ter wêreld. Tog is dit die tuiste van 8 600 plantspesies, waarvan 5 000 nêrens elders voorkom nie.

Fynbos is 'n vermenging van vier plantsoorte: protea-struike, heideagtige erikas, rietagtige restio's en 'n verskeidenheid bolplante. In die Kaapse Blommeryk groei 69 van die wêreld se 112 proteas, 526 van sy 740 erikas en onder sy bolplante word 96 van die wêreld se 160 gladiolusspesies aangetref. Op sy eie spog Tafekberg met byna 1 500 fynbosspesis.

Met "Fynbosfeetjies" bring Antjie Krog en Fiona Moodie, wat albei gereeld op die hange van Tafelberg gaan stap, hulde aan een van die natuurwonders van die wêreld. Antjie, geïnspireer deur Cicely Mary Barker se "A World of Flower Fairies", het die bal aan die rol gesit deur verse to skryf oor verskillende blomplante wat deur minstens een denkbeeldige wesentjie bewoon word.

Fiona het elke plant, insek en gediertetjie wat in hierdie boek afgebeeld is, nagevors. Die feetjies en ander droomwesentjies is haar eie skeppings, maar blomme, goggas en diertjies het sy by die natuur afgekyk en noukeurig nageteken.

Children will enjoy hours of fun colouring in this selection of Africa's most striking flowers. There are more than 40 images to colour in, each accompanied by an interesting caption - to help budding artists and young naturalists learn about the natural world as they work through the book.

In the middle of the book is a gallery of all the creatures and plants in full colour, providing a clear guide to which crayons or paints to use when colouring in the outlined images.