Reviva Schermbrucker

Born in Israel in 1954, Reviva arrived with
her family in South Africa aged 5 and a half.

“The plane lurched and jolted, it changed gears like small planes still feel they are doing even in this day and age. The wings dipped, and I burst out of the black box in which I only realised I had been inside once I was free, and flew straight inside the blonde child’s body. Someone said look, we are here, somewhere from above my head, more a feeling than words…

Merely sounds until this moment, the two words that have floated down into my ears from the height of adult conversation - Joe-berg and Safrica - are brought to life and placed for me in a rounded hole in the side of a plane in the sky: against a vast soft, dense, black which stretches from one end of the horizon to the other, glittering gold and silver specks flicker. Many are in shapes, in straight lines and circles, wheels within wheels. I try to join them up into pictures- a dragon’s tail, a row of teeth, a river - but they change too quickly, sliding out of the stories that almost catch hold of them, slippery fish oiled by modern speed and time. The other glitters have no patterns I can discern. They are random as if they have been tossed by a jeweller displaying his wares on a velvet cloth. Here we are. Take your pick.” (from an autobiography in progress, COLOUR IN CHILD)

Reviva became a South African in the boringly intense suburbs of Johannesburg in the 60’s. After matriculating, she attended WITS (the University of Witwatersrand) and began a Fine Art degree. She completed her undergraduate degree in Philadelphia ,USA and followed it up with a Masters in Fine Art from the University of Wisconsin.

She returned to South Africa to a life in Cape Town, married to Peter. Before and in between raising their two sons, she taught art at what was then known as the Cape Technikon and at various schools. But teaching has always been a second choice. Her real passion is making books.

Her first foray into children’s books was as a writer. Charlie’s House (Songololo Books, David Philip) was illustrated by Niki Daly and first appeared in 1989.

A Child’s Garden (Tafelberg, 1992) is a practical book with a dual audience. It is chock full of fanciful ideas to be experienced in the garden by both children and their parents who are encouraged to get butterflies tipsy, undress hibiscus flowers, plant rainbows or write messages in radishes… The emphasis is on the sensual, the ephemeral and the plain whacky.

Reviva worked as a materials developer for ELRU (the Early learning Resource Unit) for 10 years producing children’s

picture books and readers - including some that fit into matchboxes! (The Matchbox Library) - picture packs, an unique set of alphabet cards (Ah Bekutheni?), innovative games including updated card games (Snap! and Happy Families in South Africa) and a foundation phase numeracy kit (We all count!), award-winning posters and even the lyrics for a musical tape.

Cindy ( ELRU, 2001)is one of the five books in the Keteka series of readers which gives voice to actual children living in situations or communities which rarely make it into the world of children’s books. Cindy, who lives in a cramped flat in Berea, has Joubert Park as her playground, the city trains as her means to get to school and back and a skyline of high rises as the backdrop to her life. This is not another township story that uses the exotic jumble of informal housing as a decorative motif. Books in

the Keteka series have colour-coded multilingual texts and photographic illustrations. The book was conceptualized, written and produced by Reviva.

Am I a Lion that Eats People? ( ELRU, 2004) is one of four books in the Mielie Book series which addresses tough issues such as poverty, prejudice and stereotyping in fresh and child-friendly ways. In the photographic illustrations of the main characters, Mawabo and his mother are painted over to hide their identity. In a way, a metaphor is created approximating the way society ‘paints’ HIV positive people with stigma and shame.

But this is a children’s book and as Mawabo converses with his mother about their HIV status, the bright yellow figure and his floral-patterned Mama, strange as they might first seem to young readers, regain their humanity with humour, hopefulness and authentic feeling. The book was conceptualized, written and illustrated by Reviva.

Lucky Fish! ( Jacana, 2003) is a full-length novel for teenagers and adults based on fact. It is set in Johannesburg during the 1960s, and is told by a 13-year old boy named Steven whose parents, Ivor and Lucy, become political prisoners.

"Story of struggle family well-told piece of fiction" (Jen Crocker Cape Times, 23 January 2004)

"…Ultimately, this is a sensitively told story about coming-of-age in a strange society.

…Lucky Fish! manages to be a good read – that resists the temptation to punish its readers with political correctness -and an instructive story for those who do not know what life was like for activists in South Africa."

Alongside her work for NGO’s and educational publishers such as ELRU, PRAESA (Project for Alternative Education in South Africa) Maskew Miller Longman, Shooter and Shuter etc.– what she calls her ‘bread and butter work’-- Reviva has continued to write and illustrate children’s picture books for the general market.

The Jam Tin and the Teacup (Songololo Books, New Africa Books, 2002) follows the conversation between an endearing orangutan that emerges from the label of a jam tin (APE !– ricot) and a rather uppity damsel with a bluish cast to her skin and green hair who is painted on the side of a porcelain teacup. She will not marry the jam tin because she thinks she is finer than him, but he has the final say. Nelson Mandela makes an unexpected appearance in this whimsical story that lightly touches on deeper concerns such as inequality and racism.

An African Christmas Cloth (Jacana, 2005)

Press release:

Artist/writer, Reviva Schermbrucker, has done what what must be a first in publishing history – embroidered an advent calendar for children in story form. Two and a half years of

inspired, meticulous ‘stitching’, a stellar reproduction and imagery with a South African flavour makes for an original book that harkens back to a by-gone world where things were not judged merely by their charm, wit and integrity. Yet An African Christmas Cloth is also irreverent and contemporary.

Reviva has subverted the traditional advent calendar with its predictable window openings and created priceless embroidered pages stuffed with a plethora of zany European and African Christmas images. It’s a visual, tongue-in-cheek South African ‘concoction’ – a unique fusion between cultures, with authentic South African detailing. There is foam snow and a sweaty watermelon pip-sptting Father Christmas licking melting ice-cream; a snowman made of hail; a Christmas thorn tree, home to yellow beaver birds and their nests and ornaments of goggas and caterpillars; Church of Zion members praying under the trees in the veld celebrating the coming of Christmas.

The details are in the main spreads or in a row of visual footnotes or asides that run in a border under each panel: Spot the zebra next to the zebra crossing; connect the pair of Sunday parfaits with the hot veld; a roll of toilet paper and a can opener below a camping scene; a dummy for a baby being carried on its traditionally attired mother’s back; the three kings, bead-decorated clay pots and a toothbrush and poothpaste below a star-gazing night scene. The invitation is there for the child or adult reader to wonder why, to dream up his or her own stories.

The works above are a sample of all she has produced. There is a novella for newly literate adults, a number of teachers’ guides and a whole lot of early readers. As Reviva says, “One has to keep producing in this field if one is to keep the wolf from the door.”

She is currently conceptualising a doctoral thesis on mentoring black and coloured would-be-writers to write texts for young adult/ adult readers by exploring childhood memories. “We have reached a stage where white writers must stop being ventriloquists and people must be the authors of their own experiences. Childhood memories are a fragile cultural treasure trove, a source of wonderful, rich stories recreated from the unique cultural, geographical and psychological circumstances of individual children. They are at the same time, universal in nature and resonate in all of us.”

Publications: (All written unless stated otherwise. Those marked with an asterix are also illustrated by Reviva.)

Jacana Books

2003: Lucky Fish! (teenage/ adult novel)
2005: *An African Christmas Cloth (picture book with embroidered illustration)

David Philip, Songololo imprint

1989: Charlie’s House (picture book illustrated by Niki Daly)
2002: Jam Tin and the Teacup (picture book)

New Africa Books, New African Stories

2002: *Diphoofolo (text of multilingual rhymes)
2002: *Stars on the Dunes
2002: *What do I see that flies?

Juta and Co

1994: 18 titles in the Sterstories series for Grade 1 (various illustrators)
1994: *SWAP (Schools Water Analysis Project) educational support materials

Tafelberg

1992: A Child’s Garden (gardening for children and parents)
1992: Stories South of the Sun (1 story included in collection)

Maskew Miller Longman, Stars of Africa

2002: Say Cheese! Say Chillies! (illustrated by Sue Beattie)
2002: A Dress for Lien (photographs by Sue Kramer)
2002: The Curry Pot (photographs by Sue Kramer)
2002: A Stone for a Fish (photographs by Sue Kramer)
2002: The St Louis Steel Band ( photographs by Sue Kramer)

Shuter and Shooter, Jumbo Readers

2002: The Dog Man of Johannesburg (illustrations by Vian Oelofsen)
2002: Captain Mandlenkosi and the Taxi Ship (illustrations by Vian Oelofsen)
2002: Mulberries (illustrations by Vian Oelofsen )
2006: Bed Mountain – in production
2006: Boys do Cry – in production

Viva Books

1994: Lang Pad na die Hart ( a novella for newly literate adults)

Kagiso

1998: Give us a Clue- South African mysteries for us to solve ( conceptualization and re-writing of history text by Graves and Mullholland) (the second title in the series Just When- Putting Time in Order –not published)

University of Western Cape, Education Department

2002: Multilingual Phonics Ability Kit (conceptualisation, design and production)
2002: *Mbali – early reader with photographs and paintings

Western Cape Primary Science Programme

1989 till 1999: *: Approximately 20 workshop reports
1994: *Information booklets for Bird packs
2000: Natural Phenomena (picture research, design and production of picture pack of b/w photographs)

Project for Alternative Education in South Africa

2002: 8 titles: Little Hands (commissioning, design and production of all titles, illustration of 1 title, texts for 3)

2003: additional titles: Little Hands (commissioning, design and production, texts of 3 titles)

2004: multilingual rhyme posters (conceptualization, mentoring, design and production)

2005: titles for joint PRAESA/ UNICEF initiative:

Look who loves you!
The Little Hare (commissioning, design, production only)

Early Learning Resource Unit

1996 till present

Materials produced were all conceived, written, designed and produced by me in consultation with ELRU staff. Those marked with an asterix were also illustrated by me.

Books:

1. Knock! Knock! (multilingual concept book illustrated with photographs)
2. Uthini? (multilingual, everyday sayings, illustrated by Trish de Villiers)
3. String Together (multilingual counting book illustrated with photographs)

The Keteka Series (multilingual texts, photographic illustrations of children from different communities):

4. Antjie (Genadendal, Overberg, photographs by Sue Kramer)
5. Mhlanguli (Khayelitsha, Cape Town, photographs by Sue Kramer)
6. Azhar (University Estate, Cape Town, photographs by Sue Hillyard)
7. Zimkhitha (Gobozana, Eastern Cape, photographs by Rob Pollock)
8. Cindy (inner city, Johannesburg, photographs by Motllhalefi Mahlabe)

Mielie Books (a series of issue based picture books, illustrated with photographs and paintings)

9. *At School , What if? (disability and inclusion)
10. *They were Wrong! (stereotypes and prejudice)
11. *Am I a Lion that Eats People? (HIV/Aids and stigma)
12. * Waiting, Waiting, Always Waiting… (socio-economic rights)
13. Bongo at Home ( photographic picture book for children under 4)

Posters (conceptualization, design, production and additional art work)

1. Families poster (interactive, diverse families)
2. Celebrate our differences, celebrate our similarities ( plus interactive questionnaire)
3. We count, We speak, We write, We listen (set of multilingual posters)
4. Roots and Wings

Games (adapted versions of traditional card games – conceptualization, design, production)

1. Snap in South Africa
2. Happy Families in South Africa

Picture Packs (picture research, design, brief multilingual guides and production)

1. Vroom, vroom (transport)
2. Ikhaya Likhaya (homes)
3. Malapa (families)
4. Speel speel (play)
5.Work (occupations)

Alphabet cards

Ah-Bekutheni?

ELRU in partnership with PRAESA

A pack of cards with multilingual rhymes illustrated with drawings and photographs (conceptualisation, commissioning, design and production with Carole Bloch from PRAESA)

Numeracy kit

We all count! A Foundation phase numeracy activities kit with number strips, poster, cards and teacher guide. (conceptualisation, design, commissioning and production)

Training materials and guides. (text, design, production)

1. The Keteka Series. A Teacher’s Guide Grade R and Grade 1 (with Sue Connolly)

2. Chatelru Magazine, issue 8 (ideas for teachers based on the theme: tree, with Jos Horwitz)

3. *Chatelru Magazine, issue 10 (Learner Support Materials, Grade R focus, with Pat Birkett)

4. *Chatelru Magazine, issue11 (Inclusion and HIV/Aids focus, with Elru teams)

Other materials

1. The Matchbox Library

A series of 30 tiny books in matchboxes encased in 5 slightly bigger boxes titled:

E!Thje!; Mielies; Amagama; Amagama 2 and My Family

2. All Sorts of Families, All Sorts of Songs

A tape of original songs about families (with Chris Wildman, musician and music therapist)

3. Our View. Children of Cape Town share their views

A promotional supplement for IBBY World Congress, Cape Town (with Andre Manuel)

Articles

Anti-bias Materials for South African Children Kaapse Bibliotekaris July/August 1997

Awards for publications

1991: Charlie’s House – selected as one of the children’s books of 1991 by Bank Street College, USA.

1993: A Child’s Garden – selected as one of 1993 South African Books of the Year in Bookchat Magazine.

1997: Antjie – selected as South African Honours Books 1997

1997: Uthini? – selected as South African Honours Books 1997

1998: Mhlanguli – selected as South African Honours Books 1998

1998: Celebrate our differences, celebrate our similarities – First prize, South African Grantmakers Association (SAGA) poster competition, 1998

2001: Ah-Bekutheni? – Vivianne Wilkes award for illustration to Sue Kramer and Vian Oelofsen , 2001

2004: They were Wrong! – White Raven Award, selected for exhibition at the Bologna Book Fair

Workshops

1. Presentation at PSP workshops on ideas for primary school teachers around plants

2. Plant Magic Shows for children at nurseries

3. Sessions on creative writing and storytelling at ELRU workshops

4. Sessions on materials development, Brown’s Farm, under ELRU’s auspices

5. Many presentations of ELRU’s materials to teachers, parents, students, funders etc

Talks and Papers

Storytelling:

1. Baxter Book Fair, 1989 and 1990

2. Sea Point Primary School Book Fair, 1991 and 1995

3. Site B Primary School, Khayelitsha, 1992,

4. Brown’s Farm and Weltevreden Libraries in 2004

5. Michael Oak School and Rustenburg High School in 2005

Papers presented at conferences and tertiary institutions:

1. Presentation at conference at Zimbabwe Book Fair, 1998

2. Talk to Education students, UCT in 1999(with Thikam Pillay)

3. Talk to student teachers, Mowbray Teachers training College, 1999

4. Focus on Youth 1999, UWC Celebrating Diversity

5. Invited to KAK, Oslo, Norway in 2000 to deliver talk

6. Ibby Confernce 2004, the Baxter Theatre, Cape Town The True Picture

Exhibitions

1. One-man exhibition of paintings, Market Theatre Gallery, Johannesburg, 1977

2. Exhibition of embroideries from An African Christmas Cloth, Irma Stern Museum,

Cape Town, 2005/2006

Back to: Authors and illustrators

Back to: South African Children's Literature

Back to: Children's Literature Research Unit