Shaka has a new friend that only he can see.
“His name is Mazi” he tells Mama.
…but whenever Mama comes to Shaka’s room, Mazi runs and hides.
Mazi likes to laugh.
He makes Shaka laugh too!
They roll in the grass and build castles in the sand.
“Can Mazi eat with us?” Shaka asks Papa at dinner.
But when Papa looks up, Mazi hides behind the curtains.
One day, Mama tells Shaka, “Papa has a new job. We are moving to another town.”
“Can Mazi come?” Shaka asks Mama.
“Ask him.” Mama says.
But Shaka can’t see Mazi anywhere.
The next afternoon, the big truck comes.
Soon, the house is empty.
But Shaka can’t leave.
Where has Mazi gone?
Is Mazi in the garden?
Has he jumped over the fence?
“Maybe Mazi’s Papa got a new job too,” Mama says.
“He might also have moved away.”
When Shaka gets to the new house, there is a boy next door.
“My name is Matty,” says the boy with a smile.
“Sometimes we miss old friends,” Mama says.
“But there is always room in our hearts for new ones!”
Credits
Originally published by Book Dash under a Creative Commons Licensed BY 4.0. This book can be read for free on https://bookdash.org/books/shaka-and-mazi and was created by: Zulaikhah Agoro (Writer), Heather Jenkins (Illustrator), Natalie Pierre-Eugene (Designer), Carla Lever (Editor)
