The Things That
Really Matter

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Every child should own a hundred books by the age of five. To that end, Book Dash gathers creative professionals who volunteer to create new, African storybooks that anyone can freely translate and distribute. To find out more, and to download beautiful, print-ready books, visit bookdash.org.

The Things That Really Matter
Illustrated by Subi Bosa
Written by Refiloe Moahloli
Designed by Natalie Pierre-Eugene
Edited by Louis Greenberg
with the help of the Book Dash participants on 25 April 2020.
ISBN: 978-1-77623-113-3
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). You are free to share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material) this work for any purpose, even commercially. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the following license terms:
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Refiloe Moahloli
Natalie Pierre-Eugene
Subi Bosa

We are going on a trip.
I ask Mama what to pack.
She says, ‘The things that
really matter.’

We stop at the windmill for breakfast,
The jungle gym is so much fun.

I forget my toy.

I am sad in the car,
but Tando is happy.
‘Hooray! Now you can
play with me!’ he says.

We stop at a farm to see some animals.  Tando is searching so hard for a springbok,

a monkey gets away with his headphones.

He is sad in the car,
but I am happy.
‘Hooray! Now you can
sing with me!’ I say.

We stop at a roaring waterfall.
We are so excited,
we are pushing and pulling.

Papa falls in the water,
and so does his map.

He is sad in the car,
but Mama is happy.
‘Hooray! Now I can help you
find our way!’ she says.

We stop at the roadside vendor  to buy some mielies.

Mama bends over to pick the best ones,
and her glasses fall and break.

Mama is sad in the car,
but Papa is happy.
‘Hooray! Now we can find
our way together!’ Papa says.

We stop on an ancient hill to get a view of
the valley. Papa is making silly jokes for
us to smile for the picture,

but...

when we get back to the  car, it won’t start.
Everyone stops laughing.
‘Don’t worry...’ says Mama.
‘We can still have a good time.
We are the things that
really matter.’

And so, we do have a  good time.
By playing and singing
and finding our way together,
while enjoying the  best mielies.