A six-year-old bends over a brightly illustrated story book, lips moving and deep in concentration; two brothers look through Wind in the Willows; while an older boy reads quietly at a bench. This was the scene yesterday morning at Marandellas Children's Library -- the only establishment of its kind in Rhodesia, and one that is probably unique to Southern Africa.

It is difficult to think of an atmosphere in which children could more easily develop a love of reading -- something which if acquired in childhood they will keep all their lives.

The library is housed in a single-storey, airy building which was specially designed as a children's library, and built five years ago at a cost of £10 000.

It now has 5 500 volumes and additions are made at the rate of about 500 a year.

The books range from the classics which have delighted generations of children, through non-fictional books on the lives of famous people and other subjects, to fairy tales, adventure stories and fiction for children in their early teens.

Financially the library has been made possible through the generosity of a British businessman, Mr S H Leake, who 10 years ago retired to Rhodesia and settled in the Bromley area, about 15 miles from Marandellas.