Shudu Finds her Magic, written by Shudufhadzo Musida and illustrated by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne, is out now from Jacana Media!

In this courageous and beautiful book, Miss South Africa, Shudufhadzo Musida, tells the story of her upbringing: of a delightful and outgoing girl in a small village named Ha-Vhangani. She is surrounded by a loving extended family. Things for Shudu, however, take a turn for the worse when her mother gets a new job and they move to Mpumalanga. At her new school, Shudu is bullied by her classmates. Read how Shudu overcomes the bullying and sadness, and grows into a girl, and then an adult, who has learned to love herself.

‘The one lesson I learnt is that when something bad is happening to you it is important to speak to an adult that you trust about it. This could be a parent, a family member, a teacher or an elder. Remember that being bullied is not your fault. There is nothing wrong with you. Nobody should have to go through what I went through.’ – Shudufhadzo Musida

Published in partnership with Miss South Africa, the book is available in Afrikaans (Shudu Vind Haar Sprankel), English (Shudu Finds Her Magic), Sesotho (Shudu O Sibolla Boikgetho ba hae), Tshivenda  (Shudu u wana Vhuṱolo Hawe), isiXhosa (uShudu u Fumanisa ukuba UnoMlingo) and isiZulu (uShudu Uthola Umlingo Wakhe).

Musida will be giving a series of virtual school readings and will do a countrywide tour to promote the book, subject to Covid-19 restrictions. Booking requests may be made here.

• Download resources for children, parents, teachers and caregivers, as well as activity sheets, here!

About the author

Shudufhadzo Musida was born on 18 July 1996 in the village of Ha-Masia, Limpopo, South Africa. She has a BSc from the University of Pretoria and an honours degree in international relations from Wits University. She is a model and beauty pageant titleholder and was crowned Miss South Africa in 2020. Shudu is devoted to advocating for mental health awareness and the educational and economic empowerment of children and women.

Categories Fiction South Africa

Tags Burgen Thorne Chantelle Children Childrens books Jacana Media New books New releases Shudu Finds her Magic Shudufhadzo Musida