The River in our Backyard
Te Awa e Pātata Rawa Ana   

by Malcolm Paterson
Illustrated by Martin Bailey

You don’t need an overseas trip to encounter centuries of history and unique environments, as the Sharing Our Stories books reveal.

The River in our Backyard /Te Awa e Pātata Rawa Ana is the fourth in the series and the first to be fully bilingual in English and te reo, both written by Malcolm Paterson. 

It also includes Tamil language, and publishes just ahead of the Diwali festival.

Malcolm says he is delighted to offer a new book through which tamariki and their whānau can engage with their social, cultural and environmental heritage — and which can be a local curriculum resource for schools.“My Indian Malaysian wife and I have a lovely ‘fruit salad’ whānau and there are many others like us. I hope that they see themselves reflected in my books, which acknowledge different cultures in our communities.”

The new story again follows cousins Tui and Jennifer and their whānau on a voyage of discovery, this time into the history and nature of Auckland’s Te Atatū Peninsula and nearby places within reach by sea and river.

The children learn local heritage, human development and impact, the environment and conservation, and get to join in Diwali celebrations.

All the adventures are brought to life in Martin Bailey’s vibrant artwork. A Teacher Resource PDF for the book is also available here.

The authors

Malcolm Paterson belongs to Ngāti Whātua iwi, which he represents in heritage and environmental matters. He is the author of the previous three  Sharing our Stories books. Malcolm  lives with his family in Te Atatū, Auckland. 

Martin Bailey is a well-known illustrator who has created dozens of  children’s books, including illustrations for The Taniwha in our Backyard. He also manages the publisher Black Chook Books. Martin lives in Muriwai.
Exploring historic sites on Te Atatu Peninsula, Auckland while working on The River in our Backyard/Te Awa e Pātata Rawa Ana. From left: author Malcom Paterson (pictured with his eldest son, Davin), illustrator Martin Bailey (centre) and publisher Peter Dowling

 

Publication Date: 17 October 2022 |  ISBN: 978-1-99-004219-5 |  RRP $22.99Paperback, 284 x 208 mm portrait, 32 pages, colour