‘My daddy is a great big bear’ says a little girl, and he is bearlike in the mornings – grizzling, grouchy and yawning. Cleaning their teeth together she sees him as a naughty crocodile with a toothy grin; at breakfast he’s like an octopus, he’s got so many things to do; and when it’s time for bed he’s a galumphing monster, threatening to eat her up if she doesn’t tidy up and get ready. But at the end of the day, too tired to play, he’s just her lovely daddy. The story describes beautifully the fun the two have together and the love between them and it’s told brilliantly through words and Carol Thompson’s scratchy, lively and heart-warming illustrations. A wonderful way to get children thinking about what their daddy means to them. ~Andrea Reece
My daddy is a great big bear. He gets out of bed and grumbles and grouches, scratches and yawns! This charming picture book for younger children portrays a day in the life of a dad and daughter in a single-parent home, as they get up, have breakfast, go to school, go swimming, make dinner and prepare for bedtime. Dad is a great big bear, a silly monkey, a crocodile, an octopus and, at bedtime, a scary monster for a little while - but in the end it's Daddy being Daddy that the little girl loves best.
Dianne Hofmeyr grew up next to the sea, on the southern tip of Africa, and has travelled just about everywhere in Africa since. Her father was a mapmaker - helping her to plot not only the stars and unfamiliar terrain but also the texture and smell of new experiences. Her writing is a result of journeys with notebook and camera through places like Eygpt, Tunisia and Zimbabwe. Her teenage fiction has won the prestigious M-Net Book prize, judged with adult fiction, the Sanlam GOLD for Youth Literature (twice), the Sanlam SILVER award, the YOUNG AFRICA AWARD, an IBBY HONOURS BOOK award and a YOUNG AFRICA award. In South Africa, 'The Waterbearer' has won the M.E.R. award and is currently shortlisted for the Sunday Times Book of the Year.
