Meet Declan Opperman, the 12-year-old South African who finished his first story in three days and published four children’s books in three months; the first print runs sold out

Declan Opperman was 12 when four of his children’s books reached print in 2026. He completed his first book in three days, began writing the Boo’s Adventures series in March and had all four books published by June, according to DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette. The books ( Boo’s Square Eyes, Boo’s Yellow Teeth, Boo’s Stinky Feet and Boo’s Long Nose) follow a fictional boy named Boo and turn ordinary childhood habits into short stories with consequences. Declan’s first print runs have since sold out, while the books were being prepared for wider online availability.Declan was inspired by his English teacher at De Hoop Primary School, Damian Baumgart according to DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette, who admired the teacher’s ability to take almost any idea and turn it into writing. “I wanted to be like my teacher,” Declan said. The newspaper reported that Declan began his writing journey in 2025, and by the time he started the Boo’s Adventures series the following March, he had already been learning how to structure stories at school.The four stories started with everyday childhood habitsThe central character in the series, Boo, is a blue-haired boy whose decisions produce exaggerated consequences. The stories are aimed at younger children, and each book is built around a familiar behavior rather than a complicated plot. In Boo’s Square Eyes, Boo ignores his mother’s warnings about watching too much television. Boo’s Yellow Teeth deals with brushing teeth, while Boo’s Stinky Feet uses personal hygiene as its subject. Boo’s Long Nose takes the familiar idea of a growing nose and uses it to explore lying.A report by The Bolander said that the four books were published this year as 16-page books through Tertius van Eeden of Print on Demand. Declan told the publication that he wanted younger children to enjoy reading while also learning a lesson from the stories. Declan said children between four and seven could be easier to reach when it came to changing bad habits, and he wanted his books to combine reading practice with those everyday lessons.Boo gets things wrong, ignores advice and then deals with the consequences inside the fictional world, which gives Declan a way to address behaviors such as lying, excessive television watching, poor dental care and not bathing without turning the stories into lists of rules.Editing took longer than writing the first storyDeclan told DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette that editing became the most time-consuming part of the process. He completed them individually and spent time checking each one before moving to the next, rather than working on all four books at once. His mother also became involved in the final production stage, and helped with layout and communication with the printers.A friend recommended Tertius van Eeden, who later contacted the family after seeing potential in the stories, and ultimately published the books through Print on Demand. A later profile by Tiny Spark Kids also identified the four titles and said the books were 16 pages each. It described the series as a set of stories built around listening, honesty, hygiene and better choices. The account said the four books were published by June 2026.Declan told DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette that he was nervous about whether the finished books would look good, after seeing the printed copies, he described the experience of taking part in the process as exciting. His favorite book in the series is Boo’s Square Eyes, which he said inspired him to keep writing.He is already planning more booksDeclan has said he wants to continue the Boo’s Adventures series for as long as he can and eventually hopes to write for readers around his own age and older. His reading interests extend beyond his own books, with his favorite author being Jaco Jacobs and his favorite book being Die Gevaarlikste Speletjie op Aarde. Declan also writes down ideas for future stories at school so that he can begin working on them when he gets home, but for now, the four Boo’s Adventures titles are the first published part of that larger collection of ideas.DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette reported that the first print runs were sold out and that the books were being prepared for publication on Takealot, and in the meantime, copies were available privately through Declan’s family.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.