The Mkuze Choir

Let me introduce you my to a gifted 'whiz of the brush and pencil' ............ Janine, my youngest daughter. She is the charming genius, animal lover who provided the illustration below to capture the mood! Jean Visser, the official illustrator will guide the young reader (and their unsuspecting parents), through the chronicles of my adventures to Ghost Mountain and beyond.

This picture shows some of the members of the Mkuze Dawn Choir as they warm up to welcome a story book new day in the sub tropics of Zululand. HRH Lion, roars an opening aria in an earth-shattering bass that can be heard for miles. He is accompanied by a wannabe hippo tenor in full throat. The monkeys? Well they are just hanging around waiting for the rest of the choir to pitch!

New Launch Date

The launch date for 'Howard The African Hadeda and the Valley of Bones' has been moved to June 30, 2012. My clever publisher found a fantastic venue at the comfortable The Book Lounge in Roeland Street Cape Town. Great stuff. I'm looking forward to renewing many old and close friendships and meeting many new ones! (Also a feast of crunchy bugs and crickets and things will be provided).

I've been told that between snacks I would have to autograph many thousand of copies of my book as my fans clamour and  jostle the length of Roeland Street to buy one ...... This will be my absolute pleasure, of course! All for one and one for all............

To mark the occasion I practiced, beak in sand on my autograph. Hope you like it.......

Beady-Eyed and Wired-Up

Over the weekend I made an encounter of the wired and beaded kind.  Tersia, my crafty publisher  commission a local artist with a difference and a wonderful  talent to make an effigy of me from wire and beads. This is a painstaking and skilled vocation, reserved for those with determination and patience with rolled wire and pliers. One finds these artists near most large malls in South Africa where they create most anything, from geckos, lions, elephants to beetles and bugs.

So delighted am I that I have decided to nominate Tersia as an Honorary Member of SouthAfricanBirdBrains. Thanks Tersia!

I’ve included a photo of my ‘statue’ for all to admire and look forward to your comments...........

Meet the Humans

Fans, friends and family members.  You may have wondered where I was this last week. Well, I decided to go on a separate mission to track down my ghost writer and the publisher of my book The Adventures of Howard the African Hadeda and the Valley of Bones, which will be launched in the middle of next month, in Cape Town.

My paparazzo friend Cock Robin, spied them with his little eye and took this snapshot – from left to right Tersia the publisher and my ghost writer (sorry ghosts don’t have names), hatching up something for the event. Although they do not have bird brains they seem to be in control and the platinum hair of both inspires some confidence. Friendly byededas, Howard