Sivu's six wishes - Jude Daly

Sivu is a stonemason who can see the potential shape in a rock before he starts to chisel it, but he has never become rich or powerful, and this makes him a disappointed man. One day he finds himself envying a wealthy businessman - and suddenly he becomes that businessman. What a life! Then he starts to envy a mayor... and becomes the mayor. What a life! When Sivu envies the sun's power, he becomes the sun... then a storm cloud... then the wind... and finally a rock. But in the end he discovers to his amazement that there is someone more powerful than any rock - the stonemason who shapes it.



Using clear, elegant storytelling and exquisite illustrations, Jude Daly translates the timeless Taoist story of The Stonecutter to a modern-day African setting, conveying a timeless message for our own age.

Jude Daly was born in London and emigrated to South Africa as a young child. She went to art college in Cape Town, and now lives there with her husband, the writer and illustrator Niki Daly, and their two sons.

In a celebrity-obsessed society, this thought-provoking story conveys a timeless message - be careful what you wish for!
Nursery Education

Four stars: The story is told in language that flows and rolls off the tongue. There are lots of repetitive phrases which invite children to join in the chorus of reading the story aloud. The text, cleanly juxtaposed in vertical or horizontal panels, is enhanced by bold colour illustrations set in a contemporary African landscape. This version of the Taoist tale is visually pleasing and most certainly a story to be read aloud.
Books for Keeps

The illustrations are deeply satisfying and full of meaning: folk stories travel well through time.
Ibby Link

Original and distinctive illustrations.
School Librarian

The story ends on a wonderfully understated note as the story comes full-circle and Sivu is left to contemplate his path to happiness. The original and distinctive illustrations stretch across the landscape format as this ancient tale is brought to a modern setting.
School Librarian