Sekai and the Helpful Hammer
is out now!
The Sekai Adventure Series
Sekai and the Special Spanner and Sekai and the Helpful Hammer are part of a joyful picture-book series that follows Sekai, a curious and capable young girl who loves to solve problems with her hands, her heart, and her growing toolkit. Through playful storytelling and practical tools, the Sekai adventures celebrate creativity, perseverance, and the confidence children gain when they discover they can fix things themselves. Written by Gugu McLaren, a South African author and mother, the series is inspired by a deep belief in nurturing problem-solvers from an early age and encouraging girls and boys alike to see themselves as builders, thinkers, and helpers in the world.
MEET SEKAI!
Sekai and the Special Spanner
“But when she opened up Sekuru’s gift her face fell,
Her nose wrinkled up, her disappointment easy to tell.
Her bottom lip quivered:
Her favourite had not delivered.”
When Sekai receives a spanner for her birthday from her beloved Sekuru, she struggles to hide her disappointment. But, one day she realises her wise Grandpa knew exactly what he was doing.
A rhyming story about a special relationship, a spanner and the power of self belief.
Sekai and the Helpful Hammer
“Twas the day after Christmas and Sekai was happy…”
But suddenly everything changes when Baba and Sekuru have to rush kumusha for an emergency at the farm, leaving Amai, Sekai and Farai alone. When everything starts falling apart, Sekai remembers her wise Grandpa’s gift and, with her mother’s help, she confidently saves the day…again.
Follow Sekai’s rainy adventures in this fun story about a girl, a hammer and her growing confidence.
Contributor
The Short Story is Dead, Long Live the Short Story! Vol. 2 takes readers on a journey through modern African cities and personalities crumbling under the weight of their own complex history. We find unexpected lovers - covert couplings, passionate and forbidden – and encounter questions of identity and family are brought to the fore and confronted with varying degrees of success by different entertaining characters. This second volume features writer, established and emerging, who have their own unique voice and style. Some are elaborate and almost psychedelic in their use of language while others are subtle, sparing with words yet able to craft personal and delicate small worlds that draw the reader in. These stories surprise, soothe, question and flare off the page with their intensity. The Short Story is Dead, Long Live the Short Story! is the official anthology of Black Letter Media’s annual short story writing competition.