Chipo and the Bird on the Hill

Two children, Chipo and Dambudzo set out in search of a big stone bird at Great Zimbabwe after Sekuru tells them the story of how this bird guided their ancestors to a hill. All the mysteries of the ancient ruins come alive as the children slip away from their duties to climb the hill in search of the bird. The story is set in the 'Great Zimbabwe' of 700 years ago. Great Zimbabwe was built by Shona-speaking people who lived there and was where the most powerful rulers of the south-eastern interior of Africa lived. It was an organised and prosperous state. The story and illustrations are the author's impressions of how life in Great Zimbabwe might have been when it was full of huts, footpaths, cooking fires, people laughing and chatting and cock-crowing.