Other editions of book Gift of the Sun: A Tale from South Africa

In this witty book based on an African folk tale, Thulani prefers sitting in the sun to doing his chores. Tired of milking the cow, he trades her in for a goat. When the goat gets into the corn seed, he trades it for a sheep. Sick of shearing, he buys some geese, which then get exchanged for some sunflower seeds. With each trade, his hard-working wife gets more and more exasperated. Can Thulani redeem himself and still have time for his favorite hobby, doing nothing? Droll text and lively illustrations make this book ideal for repeated readings.

All Thulani wants is a simple life basking in the sun. Tired of milking the cow, he exchanges it for a goat ... the goat for a sheep ... the sheep for three geese ... until all he has left is a pocket of sunflower seeds! But the sunflower seeds feed the hens, the hens lay more eggs than ever and before long Thulani is enjoying the gift of his newfound fortune. A charming easy-to-understand story teaching children the concept of investing and growing what one has. Dianne Stewart’s charming story and Jude Daly’s delightful illustrations will enchant children and adults alike. For the illustrations of this book, The Gift of the Sun was selected as one of Smithsonian’s Notable Books in 1996 and Jude Daly received the Katrine Harries Award, as well as a place on the IBBY Honour List of 1998.