Have fun while trying to spot Zuma
How can one resist a book with the subtitle “The Somewhat True Story of a Man, his Wife, and her Alligator”? Albert the alligator was given to Elsie by a famous film star, the man who played the role of Davy Crockett’s friend Georgie Russell in the 1950 Disney series. But when Albert was about two years old, and following an unfortunate incident when Albert chased Elsie’s husband Homer out of the house with no trousers on, Homer gave Elsie an ultimatum: himself or the alligator. Reluctantly, Elsie chose Homer, but insisted they release Albert into the Florida Everglades, a journey of around 1 000km from their home in a coal-mining town in West Virginia. This is the story of the journey, with Albert in a bathtub on the back seat, and a rooster who went along for the ride. It’s a true story, by Elsie and Homer’s son Homer jr. CLEARLY inspired by Martin Handford’s Where’s Wally? series, this is a very South African take on the idea, and isn’t primarily intended for children either, although alert kids will enjoy it.
Illustrator and stand-up comedian Kobus Galloway has produced a book of wildly complicated scenes of political situations, from the arms deal and yet another Jacob Zuma wedding to an election, a football match at the FNB Stadium, the Gupta wedding, a blue-light motorcade, Nkandla and Nelson Mandela’s memorial service, all of course featuring Jacob Zuma and a host of others.
There are between 300 and 400 figures, mainly faces, in each of the scenes, so that despite his characteristic humpy head and spectacles, Zuma is not that easy to spot.
Even in his own wedding scene, when you’d think his mug would dominate proceedings, you have to look carefully for him.
But you’re not just looking for Zuma – each illustration has a list of other notables you should be able to spot, from Tony Yengeni to Vladimir Putin, the Shaik brothers, Oscar Pistorius, Helen Zille, Chester Missing and even James Bond.
And the illustrations are full of small jokes. In the Zuma wedding scene one guest is holding up a sign saying “Pay back the lobola!”; in the election scene a man is holding up a placard reading: “Vote for change/ Stem vir kleingeld”; and in the Mandela memorial scene Casper the ghost is saying “boo!”.
This is a perfect book for whiling away a holiday hour or two. – Vivien Horler