This is a stunning book. Set in South Africa in the Little Karoo, the vast landscapes in water colour are as evocative as the images of the black children and their distinctive lives. Sarie does not like school. A reluctant reader, she begins to feel sick when the reading books come out. Unmercifully teased by classmates, it is only Emile who seems to understand - Emile and Auntie Anna. Auntie Anna lives across the veld, and Sarie spends her Sunday afternoons with her, sitting in her beat-up, rusty old car and hearing stories about her own 'once upon a time'. Auntie Anna encourages Sarie to read, knowing how important it will be for her, but it is only after they discover an old picture book of Cinderella that Sarie really want to try, and together they read it over and over. With Sarie's growing ability, her self-confidence grows too, and when she is told by her school principal that she reads beautifully, her delight knows no bounds. She takes Emile - her staunch friend and now her 'prince' - to meet Auntie Anna and her car, and they take magical journeys together. Enthralling and altogether wonderful!