A beautifully proudly South African book. Interactive. You can scan the QR code Refiloe reads the story as you listen. This is a great addition to the book as it helps you pronounce all the different language goodbyes properly. 11 friends on a journey in a hot air ballon and as they leave them we learn how to say goodbye in all the different languages. The illustrations are adapted to each goodbye. The focus is on learning how to say good bye. Also goodbyes can be sad but the teacher gives us some perspective on goodbye. There is repitition of the goodbyes again in postcard and letter form that reiterates the pronunciation of goodbye.

Nelson Mandela said : “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”

This a great start for us to learn to say goodbye . The book before this is called Hello and should be as good as this on learning how to greet each other in Mzansi.

This book comes in colouring book format. What I found interesting is that it came with skin coloured colour me crayons. Sometimes the way we label skin colours can make a child confused. With skin tone crayons can be more politically correct I presume.

About the book: After Sara and her friends had an exciting journey in a hot air balloon to see the country and find out how to say ‘hello’ in How Many Ways Can You Say Hello?, they are making a return trip across South Africa to see more sights and to drop off the friends, one by one. As they do so, they also need to find out how to say ‘goodbye’ to one another in all of the country’s 11 official languages. But just as Sara starts to feel sad, she discovers that ‘goodbye’ can be the start of something new, something wonderful. Join her and find this out for yourself too. This is another delightful story of rhyming verse, accompanied by charming illustrations, and a must for all young South African children. And if parents/grandparents/carers aren’t sure how to pronounce ‘goodbye’  in all 11 official languages, there is a digital link to the text, narrated by the author herself, to guide with authentic pronunciation.

This colouring-in book is a companion to How Many Ways Can You Say Goodbye? After Sara and her friends had an exciting journey in a hot air balloon to see the country and find out how to say ‘hello’ in How Many Ways Can You Say Hello?, they are making a return trip across South Africa to see more sights and to drop off the friends, one by one. As they do so, they also need to find out how to say ‘goodbye’ to one another in all of the country’s 11 official languages. But just as Sara starts to feel sad, she discovers that ‘goodbye’ can be the start of something new, something wonderful. Join her and find this out for yourself too. This is another delightful story of rhyming verse, accompanied by charming illustrations, and a must for all young South African children. And if parents/grandparents/carers aren’t sure how to pronounce ‘goodbye’  in all 11 official languages, there is a digital link to the text, narrated by the author herself, to guide with authentic pronunciation.

About Author

Refiloe Moahloli is a children’s book author born in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.  She has a Bachelor of Commerce in Information Systems from the University of Witwatersrand and spent the early part of her career navigating the dynamic corporate world as a proposal manager, salesperson and marketer. She pursued her passion for writing after an eye-opening assignment to Mumbai, India.  

Refiloe is the best-selling author of How Many Ways Can You Say Hello?, Tullula, Yes Yanga! Yheke Yanga! and We Are One; and founder of Twelve Animation Studios. As an aunt to many nieces and nephews who consider her ‘one of them’, they inspire a multitude of stories that are constantly swimming in her head, waiting to be penned and made alive.

Refiloe is based in Johannesburg; enjoys playing hockey, watching cricket and is passionate about writing and animating stories that bring out the best in the human spirit – stories where children can identify and celebrate themselves. website: https://www.refiloemoahloli.com/

Illustrations by Anja Stoeckigt from paper tales – https://www.papertales.co.za/story-book/