Toku Whanau Rerehua. My Beautiful Family by Rauhina Cooper. Illus. Isobel Joy Te Aho-White

This is a lovely, positive picture book about the difference in family structures and celebrating them all.

Huia is a shy girl “like the kiwi who hides in it’s hole“. When saw is asked, along with her classmates, to bring a picture of her family to school, she feels nervous about it.

Her mother helps her choose a photo but when Huia goes to school she leaves it behind. I wonder why?

When her friends are showing their photographs to each other Huia makes herself scarce.

As all her classmates show and talk about their families the teacher is very supportive and Huia starts to feel better. Then her other mother shows up at school with Huia’s photograph and Huia feels much happier talking about it.

Huia is lucky she has two mothers.

Excellent illustration show the children in the classroom with smiling faces and happy to talk about their families. Great for juniors, primary and even up to intermediate aged children.

Rauhina Cooper said she wrote the story “so that tamariki from different whanau groups could see themselves in the pages of a book and feel included“. She succeeds.

Text is in both Maori and English language.

Matariki by Gavin Bishop. Pub PenguinRandom House, 2023

A superb bilingual board book from the doyen of New Zealand picture book writers.

Gavin continues on his journey of promoting the Maori language and culture with a story about the eight star sisters that make up Matariki.

Each sister has a meaning and role to play in bringing life to our planet from bringing rain to the soil, to helping us remember how good we have it.

A simple way to show pre school and juniors the meaning of Matariki in a board book format that can take the wear and tear.

Illustrations are simple and classy. Add it to E Hoa anothe board book reviewed elsewhere on this blog.

Told first in Maori then in English. Even Christopher Luxon could understand this.

Nga Atua. Maori Gods by Robyn Kahukiwa. Translated by Kiwa Hammond. Pub. Oratia, 2023

This excellent picture book about some of the important Maori Gods is a bilingual book with outstanding illustrations of all the Gods.

It is aimed at a wide audience from primary through to adults and it explains in simple terms all the important gods and their attributes. It starts with Tane the most powerful atua or god and tells of the creation when he pushed his father Ranginui upwards from his mother Papatuanuku which gave us light.

I knew some of the gods but the one that impressed me was Mahuika who has the power of fire. That’s her on the cover. Each of her fingers has a name and she carries fire in these fingers.

Maui the demi god and shapeshifter gets plenty of mention as does the beautiful Hine-Titama the legendary beauty. I was stunned that the powerful Ruaumoko the god of earthquakes was still breastfeeding from his mother.

Robyn Kahukiwa is a legendary illustrator herself, I have been reading her books since the 1980’s and she does a classy job here too.

Check it out yourself to see who is who in Maori legends.

Run,Rabbit / E Oma, Rapeti series by Norah Wilson & Kimberly Andrews, Na Pania Papa I whakamaori. Pub. Scholastic, 2023

This easy to read bilingual series teaching basic words for the learning of Maori language for juniors. All three books feature a young and determined rabbit or rapeti with his friends who are common animals found in New Zealand.

All three books are beautifully illustrated with generally one word per page in both English and Maori. Counting up to 4 is also a feature of all three stories.

Ideal for early learning of basic Maori words with a strong touch of humour about all three picture books

Po Marie Goodnight Little rabbit says goodnight to eel, fish sheep, pukeko, fantail etc before being called home to say goodnight to his mummy.

Te Wa Takaro Playtime Little Rabit says goodbye to his mummy to go and play with his friends at playschool with a Kakapo teacher whon keeps asking him Te wharepaku? Toilet? Little rabbit is having so much fun with cars, trains etc with his friends that he forgets about the toilet.

Te Rehi The Race Come on friends lets race Haere mai, e hoa ma says little Rabnbit and off go sheep, chicken, pukeko and the others in a daring race in which little rabbit shows determination as injury heaps upon injury. very humerous, children will love it.

Tide’s Out. Tai Timu by Frances Plumpton. Illus. Stephanie Thatcher. Maori translation Na Darryn Joseph. Pub. Mary Egan Publishing, 2022

Every child will study the seashore some time at school and this is a very good one for juniors and pre school children.

Set at Huia beach on the Manukau harbour, the water colour illustrations are superb and give life to the beach and the lifeforms that children can easily find if they search.

Narrated as a counting book and a bilingual English and Maori picture book this publication serves more than one function.

Each illustration is a two page spread with the harbour and hills in the background and the children and life forms easy to identify. Crabs, seaweed, scallop shells, driftwood sea anemones etc.

In the back are other creatures that can be found.

An excellent resource for school libraries and for home reading.

Out of the Egg – Ka Puta Mai I Te Heki and Fofoa Mai Le Fua Moa by Tina Matthews. Trans. Na Kiwa Hammond I Whakamaori (Maori)and Tafu Nicole Maynard (Samoan). Pub OneTree House 2022.

I have known the story of the Little Red Hen for about 70 years and the essential theme of sharing, in order to benefit all, is still there, but with a strong conservation theme as well. A sign of the times.

An additional difference is that there are now two books one in English and Maori and the same story in English and Samoan.

The story revolves around the Little Red Hen, who plants a tree and seeks the help of Fat Cat, Dirty Rat and Greedy Pig, to assist her in planting and caring for the tree as it grows. They decline of course. When the tree grows and there is now a little cat, a little rat and a little pig who want to play in the tree, what will little Red Hen do? Read either book and find out for yourself.

Excellent illustrations with lino type black and white pictures with the little Red Hen and green plant standing out. Fat Cat, Dirty Rat and Greedy Pig are classic.

Paramount to the conservation and sharing themes are the two languages Maori and Samoan. These books are great for learning either language for primary and Intermediate students. The story is the key though and it hits the spot. Essential purchases for any multi cultural primary and intermediate school.

Pipi and Pou and the Raging Mountain by Tim Tipene, illus. Isobel Te Aho-White. Pub. OneTree House, 2022

A short easy to read novel for 6-12 year olds, with large font and only eight chapters with a strong environmental message and all within the context of Maori myth and legend.

Pipi and Pou are cousins who have the same Nana with super powers and wisdom in the natural world of the Maori. Pipi can transform into a Pouakai or giant eagle and Pou can transform into a strong Taniwha who likes being in water. All three are guardians of the environment.

When earthquakes start shaking down south Nan knows that a mountain, Maungatinonui, is distressed, and she takes Pipi and Pou with her to sort it out. It seems that Maungatinonui is upset about the treatment visitors are giving to the environment of the mountain. Our three guardians set about finding a solution to the problem. Read it and see how they get on.

Maori language is used throughout the English language text and helps familiarise the reader with important terms and concepts. Some knowledge of Maori is required.

A good read with Book 2 Pipi and Pou and the River Monster already published too and soon to be reviewed on this blog. Illustrations by Isobel Te Aho-White enhance the text and provide understanding of the characters and issues of the novel

E Hoa by Gavin Bishop. Pub Gecko Press, August 2022.

learning a new language starts with the very young. They need to become familiar with a language so that it becomes second nature to them.

This board book is one of three by author/illustrator Gavin Bishop that not only supports Maori language but also talks about those very important qualities – feelings.

Children love and trust pets more than they do humans and in this book a young girl learns that her dog can be silly, happy, angry, rowdy, sad and shy, just like children can, and still be your best friend.

Published in August 2022 along with two other titles Mihi and Koro.

A must for the home and pre school and being board books they can handle the treatment.

Takaura: My Words of Winter Nga Kupu Maori mo te Takarua by Christine Dale. Translations by Kiwa Hammond. Pub. OneTree House, 2022

This very attractive picture book has two main aims.

Firstly it is about winter in New Zealand and it uses very descriptive language that children would use. The language appeals to the senses or how you feel, see, hear, smell and taste winter. Words such as dark and looming (clouds), dank and pungent(puddles), cheering and chanting(Crowds at a rugby match) and rich and delicious(hot soup)

Secondly it is to build vocabulary in both English and te reo Maori about the season of winter. This vocabulary is enhanced by terrific photographs of a New Zealand winter featuring multi cultural children of junior age.

I tell you what the stacked pies that are tasty and flaky or Ka hongihongi i nga kopaki paraoa, he reka he pakapaka look very inviting I almost ate the page.

A similar book on summer has already been published. great resource for the school and in the home

The Maori Picture Dictionary. Te Papakupu Whakaahua. Illus. by Josh Morgan & Isobel Te Aho-White. Words by Margaret Sinclair & Ross Calman

This picture book sized dictionary of Maori words translated into English is not the sort of book you pick up and read cover to cover although I did this and you might too as it is so interesting.

It is a dictionary formatted in alphabetical order with each word, concept and activity given the English word, the Maori translation and a picture of what it is all about. Simple and very effective for those young readers learning the Maori language or just needing to find out what a word is in either language.

Some of the concepts that are in here are whiteboard papa ma, photographer kaiwhakaahua, bald moremore, astronaut kaipokai tuarangi, judo nonoke and many other actions of modern living.

It brings the Maori language into the modern world for children and students of the Maori language.

The illustrations are superb for each word and in the back there are topics of the Home I te kaianga, The classroom I te taiwhanga ako and the marae ki runga marae in which all the language associated with these areas [presented.

This publication is finished with a Maori to English word list. A very useful and beautifully presented publication for schools and the home.