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Series: Moana Oceania Title: Sāmoa Author: Dahlia Malaeulu Translator: Tapaau Auvaa ISBN:978-1-99-004222-5 RRP: $29.99 Specs: 230 x 170 mm portrait, PB, 48 pp, colour Published: 15 February 2023 Aimed at readers 8+ but valuable for anyone with an interest in our Pacific ‘āiga (family), this is one of two inaugural books in the Moana Oceania series created by Oratia Books’ Editorial Director, Carolyn Lagahetau. Dahlia Malaeulu provides a comprehensive overview of life in Sāmoa for readers in New Zealand, with text in Gagana Samoa and English. Samoan children can see themselves reflected in these books, and all readers can learn about the islands’ culture, language, daily life, history, environment and sport. Moana Oceania: Sāmoa explains the fundamental values of Fa’asāmoa (Samoan life), including connection to ‘āiga (family), nu’u (village), land and religion. It shows how families in Sāmoa live, how they are educated, and how they celebrate and commemorate through dance, music and festivals — while exploring how Samoans in Aotearoa maintain and adapt their culture. With colour photographs throughout, the book contains pull-out boxes of information, making the text easy to access. -
Title: Toby Curtis Unfinished business: Ki hea āpōpō Author: Sir Toby Curtis, with Lorraine Berridge McLeod ISBN: 978-1-99-004230-0 RRP: $39.99 Specs: 234 x 153 mm portrait, PB, 180 pp Published: 17 November 2022 The Book: Born into poverty in 1939, Toby Curtis rose to the peak of achievement in Māoridom. His long history of leadership in education, broadcasting and the powerful Te Arawa confederation of iwi belied the challenges he had to overcome, and the legacy of colonisation that still overshadow the fields in which he contributed. In this thoughtful and lively memoir, Sir Toby looks back frankly on his life and career — interspersing memoir with text boxes that address policy and academic issues in education, language and indigenous rights. He reflects on a teaching career spent creating connection to tikanga and te reo for his students; leadership in broadcasting, where he helped chart the path to creating an independent voice for Māori; and his 16 years as the leader of Rotorua’s influential Te Arawa Lakes Trust. Toby was knighted in 2014 for his services to Māori education and yet, as this book’s subtitle and contents assert, he saw a lot more work to be done. -
Series: The NZ Series Title: Weather and Climate New Zealand Author: Sandra Carrod ISBN: 978-1-99-004226-3 RRP: $29.99 Specs: 240 x 160 mm portrait, PB, 100 pp, colour Published: 17 October 2022 For Teacher Resource: click here The Book: Weather refers to short-term atmospheric conditions; climate is the weather of a region averaged over a long period. In this info-packed addition to The NZ Series, Sandra Carrod explores the main elements of New Zealand’s climate and weather in global, regional and local terms. Weather and Climate New Zealand answers questions such as: What’s in a weather system? How do you read a weather chart? In what ways does our weather and climate differ from other parts of the world? And what are the indicators of climate change in New Zealand? Alongside explanations of all kinds of weather events — including rain, snow, thunderstorms and tornadoes — are extensive graphics, photographs and data from agencies like Niwa and the MetService. After reading this book, reading the weather will become easy. Highly Commended in the Storylines Notable Book Awards 2022, Non-fiction category -
The River in our BackyardTe Awa e Pātata Rawa AnaAuthor: Malcolm Paterson Illustrator: Martin Bailey ISBN:978-1-99-004219-5 RRP: $22.99 Specs: 284 x 208 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Published: 17 October 2022For Teacher Resource: click hereContinuing the successful series that connects kids with local heritage, in this fourth Sharing our Stories book Tui, cousin Jennifer and whānau go on a voyage of discovery into the history and nature of Auckland’s Te Atatū peninsula and the wider Waitematā Harbour. The children learn about the impact humans have had on the river and ocean, how places got their names, and how their family friends Kōmako and Kumar help to conserve nature. Everyone then joins in the fun of Diwali, attending a local market and watching their friend Rani perform in a dance. Martin Bailey’s vibrant artwork brings to life a story of connection that celebrates our shared heritage, with text in English and Māori along with words from the Tamil language. -
Title: Footprints on the Land How Humans Changed New Zealand Author: Richard Wolfe ISBN: 978-1-99-004220-1 RRP: $45.00 Specs: 250 x 185 mm, PB, 184 pp, b&w with colour sections Published: 12 October 2022 The Book: Richard Wolfe eloquently summarises this book’s scope in his Introduction: For upwards of 800 years, humans have made New Zealand their home, modifying the landscape to suit their needs. Although there can be no going back to the land’s original pristine condition, an awareness of the history of these changes will provide both a background and surely improve understanding of our present circumstances and challenges. Footprints on the Land tracks those changes — from early settlement and wars through to state building, with railways, species introductions, milling, mining and farming. Later chapters recount the impacts of urbanisation, draining and flooding, and the car, before considering the threats and opportunities that now face New Zealanders as a result. Wolfe’s timely tour of the human place on these islands is distinguished by art and photography that display what we’ve created and what we’ve lost. -
Title: The Grandmothers of Pikitea Street Ngā Kuia o te Tiriti o Pikitea Author: Renisa Viraj Maki Illustrator: Nikki Slade Robinson Māori translation by Kanapu Rangitauira ISBN: 978-1-99-004217-1 RRP: $22.99 Specs: PB, 270 x 210 mm portrait, 32 pp, colour Published: 8 September 2022 For Teacher Resource: click here Scents of lemongrass, garam masala, baking and smoked meat drifted down the street as the children’s grandmothers made food for their lunchboxes. Māori, Ethiopian, Samoan, NZ European, Indian and Chinese grandmothers share traditional stories and recipes with their grandkids as they get ready for bed — explaining how the food will benefit the kids at school the next day. The grandmothers aren’t cooking only for the children. They are also making dishes for their monthly gathering at one of their homes, where they continue to share their traditional dishes and stories, crossing cultural boundaries. Renisa Maki tells a beautiful story of connection between cultures, and nanas and grandchildren, sumptuously illustrated and with a fine te reo translation. Winner of a Storylines Notable Book Award 2022, Picture Books category -
Title: Kia Hou Taku Tou! I Need a New Bum! Author: Dawn McMillan Illustrator: Ross Kinnaird Translated by Stephanie Huriana Fong ISBN: 978-1-99-004224-9 RRP: $21.00 Specs: 230 x 215 mm portrait, 32 pp, colour Publishing: 1 September 2022 To mark ten years since the first publication of I Need a New Bum!, and Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2022, Oratia is delighted to present this children’s favourite in a new bilingual edition. All of the colourful and active main text is in Māori, following our hero as he searches for a tou hou/new bum, after finding that his one has a crack. ‘Subtitles’ in English run at the bottom of the page to help readers of all ages to understand and learn. After editions in Chinese, Italian, Korean and Portuguese, it’s a pleasure to ‘bring the bum home’ into Stephanie Fong’s gorgeous rhyming reo. -
Title: Hundertwasser in New Zealand The Art of Creating Paradise Author: Andreas J. Hirsch Translated by Uta Hoffmann ISBN: 978-1-99-004214-0 RRP:$70.00 Specs: 260 x 190 mm, portrait, 240 pp, colour, cloth cover with tipped-on art, reading ribbon Published: 16 August 2022; reprint now in stock‘New Zealand is for me a kind of promised land.' Austrian-born artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser arrived in New Zealand in 1973, seeking refuge from a world out of kilter with nature. After travelling and exhibiting, he settled at Kaurinui, the land he bought and restored in the Bay of Islands. Wishing to unite ‘nature and art, art and life’, he was ‘never nearer to this unity than in New Zealand’. Hundertwasser in New Zealand is a richly illustrated and accessible account of the artist’s love of Aotearoa, his interaction with the people and land, and the influence these had on his work. Andreas Hirsch explores in superb, lucid prose the artist’s trajectory in New Zealand, including the art, philosophy and architecture he created here, along with public projects like the Koru Flag and the Kawakawa Public Toilets. Illustrated with an array of paintings, drawings, sketches, photographs and the artist’s writing, this book is itself an artistic statement that will connect with readers of all kinds and truly enshrine Hundertwasser as a New Zealand icon. -
Title: Illustrated Māori Dictionary Māori–English Essentials Author: A.W. Reed Illustrated by Roger Hart ISBN: 978-1-99-004213-3 RRP: $34.99 Specs: 210 x 148 mm portrait, PB, 144 pp, b/w Published: 16 August 2022 In compiling this dictionary A.W. Reed set out to entertain as well as educate. Its succinct entries encompass modern and traditional Māori language and customs, as do the fine illustrations by Roger Hart. These Māori to English definitions delve into a variety of associated meanings and derivations — providing interest for either beginning or more advanced speakers of te reo. The new Illustrated Māori Dictionary preserves the retro feel of the 1965 original — including its early adoption of macrons to mark long vowels, and indication of transliterated words. The text has been updated to reflect modern scholarship and language use. Not only a handy reference work, this corrected facsimile edition represents a classic of Kiwi publishing. -
Title: Hickory Dickory Kick Author: Peter Millett Illustrator: Bob Darroch ISBN: 978-1-99-00-4225-6 RRP: $21.00 Specs: 230 x 215 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Published: 1 August 2022 Hickory Dickory Slick, the halfback pulled a trick. He hid the ball behind the maul … HICKORY DICKORY SLICK! What’s not to enjoy about men of a certain age galumphing around a footy field, slipping in cow pats and tripping over Granny’s knitting? Add in Buck the dog chasing the ball, and there’s chaos. All the action between the black and gold teams plays out to the tune of 'Hickory Dickory Dock' in this jam-packed read for fans of rugby and riotous fun. -
Title: Nanny Mihi's Medicine Ngā Rongoā a Nanny Mihi Author: Melanie Drewery Illustrator: Suzanne Simpson Translated by Kanapu Rangitauira ISBN: 978-1-99-004211-9 RRP: $21.00 Specs: 230 x 215 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Published: 15 June 2022 For Teacher Resource: click here Nanny Mihi’s grandchildren excitedly visit her every school holidays. Only this time they arrive with colds … Nanny takes the kids around her forest and garden, showing them plants that can make them feel better. They find kawakawa and make tea, mānuka to put in the bath and clear their stuffy noses, koromiko to help their headaches, and cabbage tree leaves to help with the cuts and scratches they get in the forest. By the time they’re well, Nanny is tired and scratched from their foraging — and the kids know just what she needs! This latest in the popular Nanny Mihi series features an all-new illustration style and a spread of information about the medicines growing around us. -
Title: Greenstone Carving: Techniques and Concepts in Pounamu Author: Len Gale ISBN: 978-1-99-004216-4 RRP: $39.99 Specs: PB, 250 x 185 mm portrait, 84 pp, colour Publishing: 15 June 2022 This helpful practitioner’s guide takes the reader from the origins of pounamu/greenstone through the basics of design, tools and techniques, leading on to popular styles like hei tiki, toki, pekapeka, mere and patu. Illustrated with helpful drawings and photos of work in progress, this new edition also features photography of finished work from leading studio Moko Pounamu, Ōtautahi/Christchurch. -
Title: The Water Bottle Author: Philippa Werry Illustrator: Burak Akbay ISBN: 978-1-99-004215-7 RRP: $22.99 Specs: PB, 270 x 210 mm, 32 pp, colour Publishing: 5 April 2022 For Teacher Resource: click here Award-winning children’s author Philippa Werry teams up with leading Turkish illustrator Burak Akbay to tell a tale that crosses the battle lines of Gallipoli. Young girl Derya and her family move from Turkey to live in New Zealand, bringing with them family treasures including the water bottle that her great-grandfather Hasan brought back from Gallipoli. At school she learns that her new friend Tom had a great-great-uncle who fought at Gallipoli. Together with their friend Airini they learn what happened when New Zealand and Turkish soldiers met there, and how an Anzac soldier gave the water bottle to Hasan after he was wounded. After attending an Anzac Day ceremony, the friends come home together and Tom’s mum makes Anzac biscuits. ‘Look at the three of us,’ Airini says. ‘Many years ago our families fought each other, but now we can be friends.’ -
Title: My Bum is SO CHEEKY! Author: Dawn McMillan Illustrator: Ross Kinnaird ISBN:978-1-99-004212-6 RRP: $21.00 Specs: 230 x 215 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Published: 7 March 2022My bum is ridiculous! My bum acts like a fool. It causes trouble when I go to school In the newest addition to the hit ‘Bum’ series, our boy’s backside just can’t sit still — it’s jiving and dancing, puddle jumping, and then stuck down the back of a chair! Mum and Dad come to the rescue: they pull their boy out of the chair and buy the perfect thing for his bum talents — a trampoline! And guess where he goes? For Olympic gold! Also publishing in the US and UK.Join the popular character from I Need a New Bum!, I’ve Broken My Bum! and My Bum is So Noisy! as he discovers he has the cheekiest bum ever.
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Title: There’s a Moa in the Moonlight He Moa kei rō Atarau Author: Dawn McMillan Illustrator: Nikki Slade Robinson Māori text: Ngaere Roberts ISBN: 978-0-947506-96-4 RRP: $25.99 Specs: 270 x 210 mm portrait, HB, 32 pp, colour Publishing: 2 November 2021 For Teacher Resource: click here There’s a Moa in the Moonlight. He’s in our garden plot. He’s munching all our melons. He likes the seeds a lot. Moa and friends are invading the garden — Huia is hanging out in the hibiscus, Wren is darting around and Adzebill is hunting lizards! What will Mum say when she sees all these animals in her garden? An effortless combination of rhyming text and funky illustrations extends Dawn McMillan’s nature-story series to bring our extinct animals back to life. Featuring a spread of animal facts at the back. -
Title: The Battlecruiser New Zealand Author: Matthew Wright ISBN: 978-1-526784-0-32 RRP: $59.99 Specs: Jacketed hardback, 234 x 156 mm portrait, 288 pp, b&w with colour Published: 16 November 2021 TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCKIn March 1909 New Zealand’s Premier Joseph Ward offered a ‘first-class battleship of the latest type’ to the British Navy as a contribution to the Empire (and to guard against the perceived threat of a newly rising Japan). Paid for by the people of New Zealand it would enter service in time to fight with distinction in all the major naval battles in the First World War. Born of the collision between New Zealand’s patriotic dreams and European politics, the tale of HMS New Zealand is further wrapped in issues of engineering, naval strategy and public opinion. Written as part naval history and part ‘biography’ of the vessel and its sailors, The Battlecruiser New Zealand is a fast-paced account of the ship’s career — brought to life through official documents, eyewitness accounts and new research. Extensively illustrated throughout with black & white and colour photos, plans and paintings, this attractive hardback will appeal to a wide audience, from naval enthusiasts to the general reader of New Zealand history. -
Title: I’ve Broken MY BUM! and other stories Author: Dawn McMillan Illustrator: Ross Kinnaird ISBN:978-0-947506-94-0 RRP: $29.99 Specs: 230 x 215 mm portrait, PB, 96 pp, colour Publishing: 19 October 2021A backwards bum … Out-of-control ear hair … A dog relates his adventures … The laugh-a-lot team of Dawn McMillan and Ross Kinnaird brings three of their best stories together in this volume of funny and fantastical characters! Included are I’ve Broken my Bum! — Is glue the right solution to put a broken bum back together? Mister Spears and his Hairy Ears — Will corks and a helmet really stop Mister Spears’ ear hair growing? Charlie and his amazing tales — Did Charlie the dog seriously do a parachute jump? A great value edition to get the kids through lockdowns and holidays.Audiobook available from
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Title: Seven Lives on Salt River Author: Dick Scott ISBN: 978-1-99-004210-2 RRP: $39.99 Specs: 250 x 182 mm portrait, PB facsimile edition, 160 pp, b&w Published: 11 October 2021 WINNER: 1988 New Zealand Book Award, non-fiction OUT OF STOCK, REPRINT UNDER CONSIDERATION‘There are marvellous insights into people … it is an extraordinary book.’ — David Lange First published in 1987 and here in its third edition, Seven Lives on Salt River is a local history that has transcended its boundaries along the northern Kaipara Harbour around Pahi to be a universal story of how European arrivals adapted to life among Māori in a new land. Dick Scott was renowned for bringing the suppressed history of Parihaka to light in Ask That Mountain, and like that earlier work, Seven Lives has become a classic of popular storytelling. The seven families he portrays here were both ordinary and outstanding, including Gordon Coates, the first New Zealand-born prime minister, the Blackwells, responsible for a standard botanical guide to the country, and Henry Scotland, a father of the peace movement and champion of Māori land rights. Beyond their legacies, it is the detail of how these families fitted in and the spectacular illustrations that gives this book its enduring fascination. Printed locally in a facsimile edition. -
Cover Story 100 Beautiful, Strange and Frankly Incredible New Zealand LP Covers Author: Steve Braunias ISBN: 978-0-947506-89-6 RRP: $49.99 Specs: 312 x 312 mm, PB, 168 pp, colour Publishing: 26 October 2021 REPRINT IS IN STOCK NOW!Music is a key to culture, no matter where in the world you are from and New Zealand is no exception. In the decades from 1957–87 the LP was king of New Zealand recorded music. To sell the music cover art was needed, and the book showcases 100 of the best examples at full LP size. Divided into themes, Cover Story brings Braunias’ inimitable wit and empathy to bear on the artistic flair, fashion and occasional gaudiness these album covers represent. Based on interviews and his own experience collecting over 800 albums from op-shops around the country, he reflects on what they say about our popular culture. Several hundred words accompany each of the albums — from Bill & Boyd to Tina Cross, Christian music to punk — while Katrina Duncan’s sharp design lets the art leap from the page. This is a big book in every sense, one that is a visual delight and full of quirky information, but that doesn’t take its subjects or itself too seriously. -
Title: Voices of Aotearoa 25 years of Going West Oratory Author: The Going West Trust ISBN: 978-0-947506-97-1 RRP: $49.99 Specs: 220 x 170 mm, HB, 384 pp, b&w Published: 16 September 2021Since 1996 the Going West Writers Festival has brought together literary voices from around Aotearoa to share a feast of ideas and words. Eminent New Zealand writers and commentators have launched each year with an opening address on the festival’s theme, most as part of the Douglas Orators series. Voices of Aotearoa draws on the Going West Trust’s complete sound archive to reproduce addresses about literature, politics, the environment, culture, personal lives and national identity. The stellar line-up of writers is: Dame Christine Cole-Catley • Nigel Cox • Allen Curnow • David Eggleton • Patricia Grace • Charlotte Grimshaw • Stephanie Johnson • Dame Fiona Kidman • Michael King • Elizabeth Knox • James Littlewood • Bernard Makoare • Paula Morris • Rod Oram • Geoff Park • Vincent O’Sullivan • Chris Price • Te Radar • Dame Anne Salmond • Maurice Shadbolt • Tony Simpson • Robert Sullivan • Ngahuia te Awekotuku • Marilyn Waring • Ian Wedde • Peter Wells • Maualaivao Albert Wendt An introduction by Naomi McCleary records the festival’s origins and evolution, and a postscript from current festival director James Littlewood takes Going West into the Covid-19 era. This beautifully designed hardback is destined to become a must-have collection from an A-team of New Zealand writers and thinkers, recorded at one of our most distinctive literary festivals. -
He Atua, He Tangata Author: A.W. Reed Revised by: Ross Calman ISBN: 978-0-947506-88-9 RRP: $65.00 Specs: 240 x 160 mm, HB, 400 pp, b&w Published: 6 October 2021In this updated edition of the Reed Book of Māori Mythology, esteemed editor Ross Calman comprehensively revises the core stories of gods (atua) and people (tangata) and the many other beings that sit on the continuum between the two. Divided into themes, this elegantly produced volume starts with traditions of the creation of the universe, and the separation of Rangi and Papa, then reviews the pantheon of atua (gods), the overworlds and underworlds. Next are the demigods and supernatural peoples, then legends of earth, ocean and sky, tohunga and makutu, and finally legends of love and endurance. He Atua, He Tangata presents different versions for stories, with sources identified where possible. Calman has modernised the language to give stories a contemporary feel, incorporating updates to the reo, making this timeless work ideal for twenty-first century readers. -
Title: Blimmin’ Koro: Kātahi rā, e Koro e! Author: Jill Bevan-Brown Illustrator: Trish Bowles Translator: Māhaki Bevan-Brown ISBN: 978-0-947506-87-2 RRP: $25.99 Specs: 270 x 210 mm portrait, 32 pp, colour Published: 7 September 2021 For Teacher Resource: click here For orders from outside New Zealand, email: sales@oratia.co.nzKotukū notices her grandfather is becoming forgetful. He hides things around the house and has trouble talking. Is Koro sick? Step by step, Kotukū and her whānau learn about dementia and help Koro to adjust to the changes in his life.This bilingual story tells the story Koro’s changes and how his family adapt to look after him. What doesn’t change is their unwavering love for their grandad. Trish Bowles’ watercolour illustrations sensitively trace the family’s journey and help show dementia doesn’t mean the end of life.
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Title: Early One Morning Author: Lawrence Schimel Illustrator: Elina Braslina ISBN: 978-1-99-004207-2 RRP: $14.99 Specs: Board book, 150 x 150 mm, 16 pp, colour Published: 17 August 2021 Click here for companion book Bedtime, Not Playtime! A young boy and his cat are awake before his mums and sister. It’s too early to make a sound, but his rumbling tummy needs to be fed. The boy and his cat finish their breakfast just in time to say ‘Good morning!’ to the rest of the family. Delightful illustrations and a simple story will have pre-school readers coming back. The cadence of this adorable rhyming board book will delight readers young and old, and the representation of a family with two moms makes ita meaningful addition to every bookshelf. -
Title: Bedtime, No Playtime! Author: Lawrence Schimel Illustrator: Elina Braslina ISBN: 978-1-99-004206-5 RRP: $14.99 Specs: Board book, 150 x 150 mm, 16 pp, colour Published: 17 August 2021 Click here for companion book Early One Morning A young girl is getting ready for bed when her puppy tries to play. First Rex brings his ball over, but that doesn’t work. Then he crashes story time, and she still doesn’t give in! Finally, as a last resort, Rex steals her teddy and the chase is on! Under the table, over the chair, her daddies race and, at last, rescue the bear. Now it’s really time for bed! Goodnight, Rex. An adorable rhyming board book that will have pre-school readers coming back, and the representation of a family with two dads makes this a meaningful addition to every bookshelf. -
Title: The New Zealand Wars Series: The NZ Series Author: Matthew Wright ISBN: : 978-0-947506-93-3 RRP: $29.99 Specs: 240 x 160 mm portrait, PB, 108 pp, colour Published: 8 July 2021 For Teacher Resource: click here Why did the New Zealand Wars occur? Who fought them and how did they proceed? And where were these battles fought? In The New Zealand Wars, Matthew Wright answers these questions in probing text supported by fact boxes and illustrations that make navigating these protracted wars easy. Building on his 2014 book on the same subject, Wright covers all of the wars’ major incidents, movements and people, including the Battle of Gate Pa, Pai Marire, and figures such as Colonel G.S. Whitmore and Te Kooti. He shows that the wars, which pitted British settlers and allied Māori against other Māori over a 30-year period, really ended up as a civil war fanning flames in many regions. The book features glossaries that explain military terms, and sidebars that explore subjects like ‘Did Māori invent trench warfare?’, and ‘Food, horrible food’. There are over 70 colour images, including of battle sites that we can visit today. -
Title: Captain Cat Author: Joan Joass Illustrator: Bob Darroch ISBN: 978-0-947506-86-5 RRP: $21.00 Specs: 230 x 215 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Published: 3 June 2021 For Teacher Resource: Click here For orders from outside New Zealand, email: sales@oratia.co.nzAn adventurous tale of two mischievous cats that find themselves in a predicament — their love for fish leads to an unscheduled journey in their owners’ dinghy. Will anyone notice them floating into the estuary?
The owner of the boat might not be on to it, but the neighbourhood kids are! Spying Fluff and Scout floating about, one of them posts on the Internet: ‘Do you know whose cats are these?Get in touch and HURRY please!’
Thank goodness Mum uses social media. Scout and Fluff are saved when the Joneses jump in their kayaks and set off to save their moggies.
Bob Darroch’s vibrant and jam-packed illustrations hilariously depict Fluff and Scout’s adventures at sea, and the efforts of the Jones family and friends to bring them back to shore.
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Title: Events in the Life of Phillip Tapsell Editor: Jonathan Adams ISBN: 978-0-947506-92-6 RRP: $45.00 Specs: 240 x 160 mm portrait, PB, 252 pp, b&w Published: 6 May 2021 The Book: Hans Falk, born in 1790 in Copenhagen, took to the sea as a lad, changed his name to Phillip Tapsell, and after many adventures settled at Maketū in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty. There he became the key trader for local iwi and married into the highest levels of Te Arawa, while helping other tribes to defend themselves against invasion from northern tribes. He was, in other words, one of the original Pākehā-Māori. Yet Tapsell’s life of daring is not well known today, and the memoirs he dictated to Edward Little shortly before his death were only ever published in newspaper form. Brought together, these make an important contribution to the history of the countries of his birth and death. Meticulously researched and edited by Dr Jonathan Adams, this book presents the original manuscript with close editing and annotation. Part 1 discusses Tapsell’s life and identity as a Pākehā-Māori; Part 2 reproduces his reminiscences as recorded by Little; and Part 3 summarises the key events in the story, examines the manuscript as an artefact, and includes accounts of Tapsell’s life and how that has been interpreted in Denmark. -
Title: First Encounters Series: The NZ Series Author: Gordon Ell and Sarah Ell ISBN: 978-0-947506-90-2 RRP: $29.99 Specs: 240 x 160 mm portrait, PB, 108 pp, 2 colour Published: 8 April 2021 For Teacher Resource: click here The Book: Europeans had no idea what they would find when they first set eyes on Aotearoa. First Encounters selects some of the key writings from these early traders, missionaries, explorers and surveyors — covering nearly 200 years from Abel Tasman in 1642 and Joseph Banks in 1769, through to early settlers such as John Logan Campbell in 1840. Their records of encounters with this new land and its Māori inhabitants reveal stories of wonder, curiosity, misunderstanding and adventure — all with maximum interest and impact for modern readers. The text is liberally illustrated with two-colour imagery and historical photos, alongside fact boxes explaining historical language and events. -
Title: My Bum is SO NOISY! Author: Dawn McMillan Illustrator: Ross Kinnaird ISBN: 978-0-947506-81-0 RRP: $21.00 Specs: 230 x 215 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Published: 2 March 2021My bum is so noisy.
My bum brings me shame.
It makes weird noises and I get the blame.
This poor kid really has trouble with his bum. This time he’s in a fix because some strange noises unpredictably issue from his behind!
There’s tooting and hooting, and burping and slurping, and popping and squeaking when Auntie is speaking. But Mum and Dad love their boy and they refuse to make a fuss. And see what happens when he is talent-spotted (or talent-heard) by movie scouts …
Join the popular character from I Need a New Bum! and I’ve Broken my Bum! when he discovers he has the loudest, the proudest, the most uproarious, victorious, sound-system backside!
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Title: He Iti te Kupu: Māori Metaphors and Similes Author: Hona Black ISBN: 978-0-947506-91-9 RRP: $39.99 Specs: 210 x 148 mm portrait, PB, 232 pp Published: 4 February 2021 WINNER: NZSA New Zealand Literary Heritage Awards 2021, Te Reo Māori section The Book: He Iti te Kupu contains nearly 500 sayings that draw a comparison between something (often the natural world) and people, events or contexts. Written in Māori and English, this accessible guide explains the use, meaning and context of a host of the principal figures of speech in te Reo.Divided into themes, including birds of the land and sea, parts of the body, acknowledgements, animals and insects.
The title derives from the proverb, ‘The words are small, yet their meanings are substantial,’ highlighting the importance of these sayings in the landscape of Māori language learning and speaking.
This volume will prove to be an invaluable resource for beginning and advanced learners of te Reo Māori.
E-book available from
Audiobook available from
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Title: There's a Weta on my Sweater Author: Dawn McMillan Illustrator: Stephanie Thatcher ISBN: 978-0-947506-76-6 RRP: $25.99 Specs: 270 x 210 mm portrait, HB, 32 pp, colour Published: 4 November 2020 For Teacher Resource: Click here The Book: There’s a weta on my sweater! He’s climbing up my sleeve … A humungous weta! An awesome weta! He doesn’t want to leave. Weta and friends, including beetle, centipede, stick insect and huhu, come to school with the kids for Show and Tell. In the classroom weta marches along while his friends show what they can do — singing, dancing and scaring the teacher! But they don’t want to stay in the classroom! Where will they go? Will Koro be able to help his mokopuna keep the critters safe?E-book available from
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Title: The Forgotten Wars Why the Musket Wars matter today Author: Ron Crosby ISBN: 978-0-947506-79-7 RRP: $39.99 Specs: 240 x 160 mm portrait, PB, 208 pp, b&w with 16-pp colour Published: 14 October 2020 For Teacher Resource: Click here The Book: Muskets, potatoes and other introductions fundamentally altered the balance of power in 19th-century Aotearoa, leading to inter-iwi conflicts over almost 40 years that claimed tens of thousands of lives (killing, wounding or displacing up to half of the Māori population). Distinguished author and lawyer Ron Crosby brilliantly rewrites his seminal The Musket Wars on a thematic basis, simplifying it to a concise new work full of maps and illustrations for the general reader. Years of presentations to schools and groups is reflected in this dynamic new approach. This important book will further understanding of how the boom of muskets continues to echo in New Zealand today. And it needs to — the wars are still neglected by government and glossed over by other histories. The Forgotten Wars ensures these epic conflicts will be remembered.E-book available from
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Title: Freyberg A Life's Journey Authors: Matthew Wright ISBN: 978-0-947506-72-8 RRP: $45 Specs: 234 x 153 mm portrait, PB with flaps, 232 pp, b&w Published: 6 October 2020 The Book: Bernard Freyberg was a legend while alive and is an iconic figure today, commemorated in the naming of schools, squares and swimming pools across the country. But how much do we really know of the man behind the myth? And what enabled a humble immigrant child in Wellington to become a hero in two wars, friend to literary giants and politicians, very private father and husband, and very public governor-general? In this fresh account of one of the 20th-century’s great New Zealanders, Matthew Wright approaches Bernard Freyberg the man rather than the more widely known figure of a military leader. Freyberg: A Life’s Journey is the most accessible biography on ‘Tiny’ Freyberg yet, with numerous black and white photos. -
Title: Sir Singlet Author: Dawn McMillan Illustrator: Ross Kinnaird ISBN: 978-0-947506-75-9 RRP: $21.00 Specs: 230 x 215 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Published: 2 October 2020 For orders from outside New Zealand, email: sales@oratia.co.nz The latest collaboration from author Dawn McMillan and illustrator Ross Kinnaird Sir Singlet brings their zany rhyms and illustrations to a colourful story of a knight who can’t stand the sloppy underwear he wears under his armour. Narrated by his nephew, Sir Singlet celebrates special talents: Sir Singlet is clever with needle and thread. See all the cushions he’s made for his bed? Sir Singlet’s solution to his problem is to design his own line of comfortable, and colourful ‘knightwear’. But before he can launch the product, the king gets in the way by declaring war. Wearing his new undergarments, Sir Singlet wins the battle, not using hand-to-hand combat — but by scaring his enemies away when he displays his wonderful wearable creations. The king is so pleased that he … well, you’ll have to read the story to find out how it all ends up! -
Title: Rona Moon Author: Tim Tipene Illustrator: Theresa Reihana Translator: Stephanie Huriana Fong ISBN: 978-1-99-004233-1 RRP: $22.99 Specs: 270 x 210 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Paperback edition publishing: 17 November 2022 (Hardback edition originally published: 16 September 2020) The Book: ‘Everything looks so small from up here,’ said Rona. ‘I know,’ Whaea beamed. ‘Even the reasons we felt angry seem so little’ The beloved myth of Rona and the Moon comes to 21st-century Aotearoa in English and Māori in Tim Tipene’s sensitive telling, strikingly illustrated by Tai Tokerau artist Theresa Reihana. Rona Moon gets angry with everyone — her brother, her Nana and Papa — and then one night she calls the moon stupid! Taken to meet her ancestor Whaea Rona on the moon, she learns a lesson in how to control her temper. Published originally in hardback in 2020 and reprinted soon after, Rona Moon/Ko Rona Māhina is now available in a quality paperback edition.E-book available from
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Title: Life with Cars New Zealanders' motoring memories 1950s–1980s Author: Stephen Barnett ISBN: 978-0-947506-74-2 RRP: $49.99 Specs: 240 x 260 mm landscape,PB with flaps, 168 pp, colour Published: 4 November 2020 For a preview of the book: Click here Book can be pre-ordered ahead of November publication The Book: Life with Cars is a like a national family photo album, albeit one with its focus on cars. It brims with evocative imagery of cars and automotive adventures from the 1950s to the 1980s, with the words of the contributors as told to the author.Their stories reflect New Zealanders’ creation and uptake of car culture — telling of breakdowns in the middle of nowhere, holidays at the beach, evading the law, Sunday drives and of course posing on, beside or in the much-loved four-wheeled family members.
Underpinning these stories are relationships — primarily between owners and their cars, but also between parents and children, partners in life, and young people and their peers — all during a time when cars had character, there was less congestion on the roads and petrol was cheap.
These stories will resonate with a wide audience, from those who owned cars then to those that love their cars as much today.
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