Read and Write for Children
Senior 4 · English (Languages)
Read and Write for Children
Lesson 1 of 5
35 min
Let's begin
A good children's story looks simple and is not. Every word has been chosen for a reader who is still learning to read; every repetition is there to help a child predict, join in and remember; every ending has to leave a young listener satisfied. To write for children, you must first learn to read their books as a writer does. The story in this lesson comes from the African Storybook, a library of free picture books written and translated across Africa, and it is available in Kinyarwanda, English, French and Kiswahili on Storybooks Rwanda. Read it twice: once as a child would, and once as a writer.
By Nina Orange, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager, from the African Storybook, licensed under CC BY 3.0. The text is reproduced in full and unchanged; the numbers mark the pages of the picture book.
1 Early one morning Vusi’s granny called him, “Vusi, please take this egg to your parents. They want to make a large cake for your sister’s wedding”.
2 On his way to his parents, Vusi met two boys picking fruit. One boy grabbed the egg from Vusi and shot it at a tree. The egg broke.
3 “What have you done?” cried Vusi. “That egg was for a cake. The cake was for my sister’s wedding. What will my sister say if there is no wedding cake?”
4 The boys were sorry for teasing Vusi. “We can’t help with the cake, but here is a walking stick for your sister,” said one. Vusi continued on his journey.
5 Along the way he met two men building a house. “Can we use that strong stick?” asked one. But the stick was not strong enough for building, and it broke.
6 “What have you done?” cried Vusi. “That stick was a gift for my sister. The fruit pickers gave me the stick because they broke the egg for the cake. The cake was for my sister’s wedding. Now there is no egg, no cake, and no gift. What will my sister say?”
7 The builders were sorry for breaking the stick. “We can’t help with the cake, but here is some thatch for your sister,” said one. And so Vusi continued on his journey.
8 Along the way, Vusi met a farmer and a cow. “What delicious thatch, can I have a nibble?” asked the cow. But the thatch was so tasty that the cow ate it all!
9 “What have you done?” cried Vusi. “That thatch was a gift for my sister. The builders gave me the thatch because they broke the stick from the fruit pickers. The fruit pickers gave me the stick because they broke the egg for my sister’s cake. The cake was for my sister’s wedding. Now there is no egg, no cake, and no gift. What will my sister say?”
10 The cow was sorry she was greedy. The farmer agreed that the cow could go with Vusi as a gift for his sister. And so Vusi carried on.
11 But the cow ran back to the farmer at supper time. And Vusi got lost on his journey. He arrived very late for his sister’s wedding. The guests were already eating.
12 “What shall I do?” cried Vusi. “The cow that ran away was a gift, in return for the thatch the builders gave me. The builders gave me the thatch because they broke the stick from the fruit pickers. The fruit pickers gave me the stick because they broke the egg for the cake. The cake was for the wedding. Now there is no egg, no cake, and no gift.”
13 Vusi’s sister thought for a while, then she said, “Vusi my brother, I don’t really care about gifts. I don’t even care about the cake! We are all here together, I am happy. Now put on your smart clothes and let’s celebrate this day!” And so that’s what Vusi did.
Definition
Key terms
| Feature | Example | Why it helps a young reader |
|---|---|---|
| Cumulative structure | egg → stick → thatch → cow | Each episode follows the same pattern, so the child can predict what comes next. |
| Refrain | "What have you done?" / "What will my sister say?" | Children can join in aloud; repetition builds memory and confidence. |
| Short, clear sentences | "The egg broke." | Easy to decode; one idea at a time. |
| Concrete nouns | egg, stick, thatch, cow | Things a child can see and picture. |
| A small, funny surprise | "But the thatch was so tasty that the cow ate it all!" | Keeps attention; a talking cow makes children laugh. |
| A reassuring ending | "We are all here together, I am happy." | Worry is resolved; the child feels safe. |
| Word (page) | Word class | Meaning here | A simpler word a child might know |
|---|---|---|---|
| grabbed (2) | verb | took suddenly and roughly | took |
| teasing (4) | verb | making fun of someone, or annoying them for fun | playing tricks on |
| thatch (7) | noun | dry grass used to make a roof | roof grass |
| nibble (8) | noun | a very small bite | a little bite |
| greedy (10) | adjective | wanting more than you need | taking too much |
| smart clothes (13) | noun phrase | neat, good clothes for a special day | best clothes |
Notice that the writer does use a few harder words (thatch, nibble). Children learn new words when the pictures and the story make the meaning clear; one or two new words per page is a good rule.
Worked example
Reading as a writer: why "The egg broke." is three words long
Tip
Read children's books aloud. Children's stories are written for the ear as much as the eye: most are first heard from an adult. If a sentence is hard to say in one breath, it is too long for a young reader.
Warning
"Simple" is not "childish". Avoid baby talk, silly misspellings and talking down to children in your own writing. "What Vusi's sister said" uses ordinary, correct English, real feelings (worry, guilt, relief) and a real message. Children notice when they are being respected.
Practice
Key points
Sources and credits
Quick check
Put the things Vusi carried in the order he got them.
Tap the cards in the right order.
