‘Limpopo Lullaby’ is based on real life events during the Mozambique floods in 2000.
The story begins with rain starting to fall on the dry and barren lands of Mozambique, Africa. A little boy, Leroy starts to dance as the first rain drops fall. He is joined by his sister and pregnant mother as they celebrate the rain. After four days of continuous rainfall, the family, along with others in the village, seek refuge in a milkwood tree from the flooding Limpopo River. In this milkwood tree, the mother gives birth and the family is rescued shortly after. The book concludes with the family together, looking fondly at the newborn and the sun shining through the window reflecting a new beginning for the family.
Jane Jolly uses figurative and descriptive language throughout the text to describe the characters and their environment. She creates images through language such as ‘…. swollen chocolate sea...’ to describe the flooding Limpopo River. These add depth to the images created by the illustrator.
The illustrator, Dee Huxley has created movement in the illustrations through using colour and lines. The use of vibrant colours of red, orange, and brown pastels are representative of the Mozambique landscape.
‘Limpopo Lullaby’ was a notable book in the 2005 for The Children’s Book Council of Australia.
NCACL Cultural Diversity Database
