“I can’t stand the idea of lecturing at children. I just wanted to chat in a constructive way,” says Ginny Stone, author of the first South African children's book about climate change, ''Sibo Makes A Difference,'' (Let's Look publishers) which is being launched at the 4 by 4 celebration of four women authors on Monday night at the MTN Sciencentre.
“There’s plenty that kids can do to help, all on their own,” says the creative rolling Stone, who also does OucHieS!, occupational health and safety cartoons for The Ripple Effect, a health-focused monthly newspaper from Durban.
“Parents have just handed the problem on to the next generation. We won’t see most of the damage – our children and grandchildren will.”
The author, science games designer Ginny Stone, likes to be a pathbreaker, which may be why in 2007 she moved from Cape Town to Springs, sometimes known as the armpit of the East Rand. “The wonderful highveld winters almost make up for lack of mountains and sea”, she says with only the faintest trace of sarcasm.
In the Western Cape, Stone was a prominent figure in science communication circles, always busy with multiple projects involving students and teachers at the world-class iThemba particle physics accelerator on the Cape Flats, across the N1 freeway from Khayelitsha and en route to Somerset West.
She was also a familiar face at South Africa’s national science festival, SciFest, in Grahamstown during the first school term every year, where she organised and hosted the popular sold-out ‘’Phat Physics’’ workshops for kids. And her latest science game, Super Silly Science, entertained Science and Technology Minister Mosibudi Mangena.
The move to Gauteng “gave me some time-out to write,” says the mother of two daughters and step-mother of one son. ‘I’ve been scribbling for most of my life but have never really done anything concrete with it. Having a book published, especially one that actually means something, is a dream come true.”
Stone even did her own artwork while she was playing around with the plot lines, using the Corel Draw computer programme, which was later reworked by the design team at Let’s Look publishing.
The Pretoria-based publishers of the book, Lets Look have embraced the project wholeheartedly - going one step further by using environmentally friendly paper and ink for printing. Miles Jarvis of Raptor Creative said the environmentally-friendly paper, sponsored by the NOR company, is free of chlorine and was harvested from a sustainable forestry programme. ‘’The inks used are derived from soya beans,’’ Jarvis said.
Ginny also produces a blog, online at http://dogsblog.blog.com and is a columnist for her local community weekly, the Springs Advertiser.
She remains passionately devoted to science outreach, which she says includes her husband Chris Theron, a physicist at Element 6, which makes industrial diamonds under pressure – rather like the writing process!
Stone is secretary and treasurer of the eleven-year-old Southern African Association of Science and Technology Centres (SAASTEC), and is busy preparing for their 2008 meeting in November at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in central Johannesburg.
She’s coming down to the SAASTEC council meeting in Cape Town on Monday July 14th here at the MTN Sciencentre and will stay on to launch her book in the Ericsson auditorium at the same venue in that evening at 6 pm.
Come along and join the party at 4by4 - four women authors. There's the conservationist and artist Betty Dwight, who's illustrated the first book on the flora and fauna of famous Rondebosch Common; SciDev.Net Africa news editor Christina Scott, and her new book on health issues for cash-strapped African students, published as part of the Heinemnn series ''10 Things You Should Know About ....'', and renowned dinosaur bone detective Professor Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan, author of Famous African Dinosaurs.
All books should be on sale at reduced prices, none of the authors suffer from repetitive stress injury and will thus be available to sign copies, and there will be food and wine.
Prior to talks by the four women authors, Connie September, the MP who chairs the water and forestry portfolio committee in parliament, will say a few words. Food and drink will be provided.
