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Series: The NZ Series Title: New Zealand Migration Author: Philippa Werry ISBN: 978-1-99-004239-3 RRP: $29.99 Specs: 240 x 160 mm portrait, PB, 100 pp, colour Published: 14 November 2023 For Teacher Resource: click here ‘In a country inhabited for a mere thousand years, everyone is an immigrant or a descendant of an immigrant.’ – Michael King With six books now published, The NZ Series is a valuable non-fiction resource for general readers and schools, introducing complex subjects in simple, concise terms. In this seventh volume, Philippa Werry recounts the stories and experience of migration to Aotearoa — from the first Polynesian arrivals to the Dawn Raids, from the New Zealand Company to ten-pound Poms, from Dutch and Dalmatian refugees to today’s Asian Kiwi communities. Extensive illustrations and shared personal experiences bring to life an immigrant nation from a range of perspectives. New Zealand Migration will make an excellent introduction for understanding our migrant nation. -
Title: Pioneer Women Series: The NZ Series Editor: Sarah Ell ISBN: 978-0-947506-59-9 RRP: $29.99 Specs: 240 x 160 mm portrait, PB, 100 pp, 2 colour Published: 10 July 2019 For Teacher Resource: click here The Book: Get ready for a new take on New Zealand society, history and geography in one of the first two books in The NZ Series, a snappily designed and fact-packed collection for intermediate and high-school age readers. This fascinating collection of writings and reflections by some of the pioneer women who came to New Zealand in the nineteenth century reveals the challenges they faced and overcame when they arrived in their new country. Pioneer Women presents extracts from diaries and letters by women who emigrated to New Zealand from Europe in the nineteenth century. These tales of hardship and happiness are accompanied by portraits, newspaper clippings, and markers like the Women’s Suffrage Petition, creating an easily digested record of these adventurous pioneers. -
Title: Rush to Riches Kauri and Gold Series: The NZ Series Author: Gordon Ell ISBN: 978-0-947506-70-4 RRP: $29.99 Specs: 240 x 160 mm portrait, PB, 100 pp, 2 colour Published: 8 May 2020 For Teacher Resource: click here The Book: The discovery of gold in New Zealand in the 1800s led thousands of people to rush to overnight tent towns set among isolated mountains and rivers. In the north, vast forests of giant kauri trees cloaked the land. Yet now only a tiny fraction of the trees survive in threatened forests, and many goldmining settlements are just ghost towns. Rush to Riches tells the story of how mining for gold and felling the kauri forests helped found New Zealand, with both Māori and new immigrants involved in these new industries. The tales in this book reveal how exploiting these resources changed the face of the land and its people. The third in The NZ Series brings these important forces in history and the environment to readers from young adults on, with plentiful illustrations and information boxes. -
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. -
Series: The NZ Series Title: The Treaty of Waitangi Author: Ross Calman ISBN: 978-1-99-004277-5 RRP: $29.99 Specs: 240 x 160 mm portrait, PB, 100 pp, colour Published: 21 January 2025 For Teacher Resource: click here ‘The story of The Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi is one of the greatest in New Zealand history. It marks the moment British and Māori history intersected and a new nation was formed.’ In The Treaty of Waitangi, Ross Calman outlines the impact of the Treaty from early contact between Māori and European settlers and signing around the country through to its revitalisation in the twentieth century, the formation of the Waitangi Tribunal and the present-day debates about its place at the centre of political and cultural life. Extensive illustrations, photos and fact boxes examine New Zealand’s founding document from a range of viewpoints, and highlight the importance of Te Tiriti as a key to understanding the nation’s past, present and future. This eighth book further extends Oratia’s NZ Series, a non-fiction resource for general readers and schools, introducing complex subjects in concise terms. -
Series: The NZ Series Title: Volcanoes and Earthquakes Editor: Gordon Ell and Sarah Ell ISBN: 978-0-947506-60-5 RRP: $29.99 Specs: 240 x 160 mm portrait, PB, 100 pp, 4 colour Published: 10 July 2019 For Teacher Resource: click here The Book: Get ready for a new take on New Zealand society, history and geography in one of the first two books in The NZ Series, a snappily designed and fact-packed collection for intermediate and high-school age readers. Volcanoes and Earthquakes investigates the causes and history of seismic activity in Aotearoa, taking in the Christchurch and Kaikoura earthquakes and recent volcanic activity. The informative, easy-to-understand text is accompanied by numerous explanatory diagrams, historical and modern-day photographs and ‘Fact File’ boxes. Ours is a physically small country but it packs a powerful amount of geological activity into its landscape, as does the keen design of Volcanoes and Earthquakes.E-book available from
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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: The Story of Sir Peter Blake Author: Tessa Duder ISBN: 978-0-947506-31-5 RRP: $25.99 Specs: 234 x 153 mm portrait, PB, 144 pp (inc. 8 pp colour) Published: June 2012 Oratia Books edition: April 2017 The Book: Peter Blake was a New Zealand hero – sailor, adventurer, leader and environmentalist. Competing in ocean races, he clocked up as many sea miles as any seafarer in history, with some epic victories. Then he led his small country to win the America’s Cup (twice!), and gave his last years to helping the environment. Award-winning author Tessa Duder tells the gripping story of Sir Peter’s life for teenage readers, revealing what made him an inspirational leader. The book features boxes backgrounding sailing skills, the America’s Cup and other key points, and is richly illustrated with photos from his life (including 8 pages of colour). -
The Taniwha in our Backyard Author: Malcolm Paterson Illustrator: Martin Bailey ISBN: 978-0-947506-46-9 RRP: $22.99 Specs: 284 x 208 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Publishing: 12 September 2018 For Teacher Resource: Click here The Book: Tui, his cousin Jennifer and their whānau go to the south Kaipara to visit their Uncle Rua and Auntie Mina. Exploring the area down to Muriwai, they learn about moa, kauri, Māui dolphins, kaitiakitanga (stewardship), geology and more. In the telling of their stories, a previously unknown taniwha (monster) takes centre stage! The Taniwha in our Backyard mixes English and Māori (with a smattering of Malay), profiling established and newer ethnic groups. This third book in the Sharing Our Stories series carries on the kaupapa of connecting children with the amazing environments and history around them. -
Title: The Tunnel in our Backyard Author: Malcolm Paterson Illustrator: Hana Maihi ISBN: 978-0-947506-04-9 RRP: $22.99 Specs: 284 x 208 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Published: 16 June 2016 For Teacher Resource: Click here The Book: A charming picture book, The Tunnel in our Backyard brings to life for children the connection with the land around them - a land full of stories and reminders of history. Jennifer and her whanau go to Te Atatu to help her cousin Tui’s family move house to Mount Albert. What they learn from Nanny on the way about Matariki and the Waterview Tunnel leads on to a big discovery once they reach Mount Albert – that old tunnels also run under here! Under the guidance of Nanny and new neighbour Tefere, the kids relive old and more recent history and follow in the giant footsteps of the ancestor Ruarangi from Mount Albert down to Meola Reef in Point Chevalier. -
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: There's a Tui in our Teapot Author: Dawn McMillan Illustrator: Nikki Slade Robinson ISBN: 978-0-947506-47-6 RRP: $25.99 Specs: 270 x 210 mm portrait, HB, 32 pp, colour Published: 16 October 2018 For Teacher Resource: Click here The Book: There’s a tui in our teapot. He’s looking out at me. A tui in the teapot? Yes … he wants a cup of tea! A tui and his various friends including takahe, kea, korimako (bellbird), pukeko and hoiho (yellow-eyed penguin) invade the family kitchen, getting up to all kinds of high jinks and making a tremendous mess! What will Nan say when she sees what the hilarious gang of mischievous birds have done to her kitchen? Two of New Zealand's best children's book creators join together in this classic bit of fun that concludes with a handy fact list on the native birds featured. -
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: There’s a Crab in my Castle He Pāpaka kei taku Pā Author: Dawn McMillan Illustrator: Nikki Slade Robinson Māori translation by: Stephanie Huriana Fong ISBN: 978-1-99-004262-1 RRP: $25.99 Specs: 270 x 210 mm portrait, HB, 32 pp, colour Published: 15 October 2024 For Teacher Resource: click here There’s a cool crab in my castle! He’d like to be the king. He sits there on his throne, watching everything. The newest addition to Dawn McMillan’s Nature Stories series takes readers to the rocky shore, where crab meets sandhopper, snapper, kina, manta ray and more. Enticing rhymes and Nikki Slade Robinson’s evocative illustrations bring the beach to life. With a fun ensemble of seaside creatures and text in Māori and English, this is an educating and entertaining read for young readers and their whānau, out in time for summer. -
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. -
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Title: Those Who Have the Courage The History of the Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps Author: Matthew Wright ISBN: 978-1-99-004255-3 RRP: $95.00 Specs: Jacketed hardback, 280 x 215 mm portrait, 648 pp, colour and b&w Published: 3 April 2024 EBOOK AVAILABLE NOW! PRINT EDITION HAS SOLD OUT.‘Those Who Have the Courage will be a valuable resource for anyone who is interested in the military and social history of New Zealand. It is a comprehensive history of the Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps, the Mounted Rifles and predecessor units ...’ — Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro, from the Foreword The product of painstaking, multi-year research by esteemed historian and author Matthew Wright, this richly illustrated hardback is a must-have for the history reader. Part 1 covers the colonial cavalry that fought in the NZ Wars and Anglo-Boer War, then Part 2 moves to the Mounted Rifles distinguishing themselves in the First World War, at the end of which the tank came into play. Part 3 describes the Armoured Corps’ varied roles in the Second World War; Part 4 details what Wright calls an ‘armoured evolution’, through actions from the Korean War to Vietnam and Part 5 records action in East Timor and Afghanistan, and modern challenges, rounding out this readable story. The appendices include rolls of honour, lists of vehicles and organisational charts.E-book available from
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Title: Titirangi Fringe of Heaven Author: Marc Bonny ISBN: 978-1-877514-13-5 RRP: $49.99 Specs: 248 x 192 mm portrait, trade paperback + flaps, 276 pp (includes 4 x 8 pp colour sections) Published: April 2011 The Book: Titirangi, probably Auckland’s most beautiful suburb and on the edge of the dramatic Waitakere Ranges, is truly the ‘fringe of heaven’. This richly illustrated book, compiled over many years by the West Auckland Historical Society, tracks the area’s evolution from successive Maori settlements, the first European arrivals, forest clearings and the beginnings of Titirangi village through to the post-war era when artists and writers began gravitating to the community as its regenerating forest reached for the sky. Titirangi: Fringe of Heaven collects specialist accounts of Maori history, prominent settlers, architecture, the arts and the environment with personal recollections of Titirangi life. A must for anyone with a connection to this beautiful area or with an interest in the arts and environment. -
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. -
Title: Tōku Whānau Rerehua My Beautiful Family Author: Rauhina Cooper Illustrator: Isobel Joy Te Aho-White ISBN: 978-1-99-004238-6 RRP: $22.99 Specs: PB, 270 x 210 mm portrait, 32 pp, colour Published: 2 June 2023 For Teacher Resource: click here‘How was school today, Huia’ her mum asked. ‘It was okay … but our news topic is our family.’
Huia feels too shy to talk about her family to her classmates because she has two mums. Will her friends laugh at her and tease her?
Over the next days, she learns that some whānau have a step-parent, some have one parent, and some children are adopted. There are all sorts of families! So when her turn comes to show her family photo, she doesn’t have to be shy.
Written in te reo Māori and translated into English (te reo appears first on the pages), Rauhina Cooper’s story is beautifully illustrated by award-winning illustrator Izzy White.
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Title: Urban Māori: The Second Great Migration Author: Bradford Haami ISBN: 978-0-947506-28-5 RRP: $39.99 Specs: 234 x 153 mm portrait, PB, 304 pp, b&w Publishing: 1 February 2018 The Book: The post-1945 migration to the cities by Māori transformed Aotearoa New Zealand forever. Before the Second World War 90% of Māori lived in rural tribal communities; by the mid-1970s almost 80% lived in the cities —perhaps the fastest movement of any population from traditional homelands to the cities. Economic opportunity improved the lot of many but created huge disruption and challenges, making this a story of expectation, need, loss, isolation and revival. Exploring what being Māori means today, Bradford Haami looks back to the experience of the first migrants, and traces the development of an urban Māori identity over the following years. Commissioned by Te Whānau o Waipareira, Urban Māori intersperses first-person accounts of migrants with readable history and numerous photos, covering the full spectrum of the migration experience — including ground-breaking accounts of urban marae, social deprivation, trade training schemes and the Māori experience in Australia. -
Title: Vikings of the Sunrise Author: Te Rangi Hīroa (Sir Peter Buck) Foreword by Paora Tapsell ISBN: 978-1-99-004249-2 RRP: $49.99 Specs: PB with flaps, 210 x 140 mm portrait, 392 pp, b/w with 2 photo sections of 16 pp Published: 18 October 2023 Vikings of the Sunrise ranks as a masterpiece of Pacific studies. From the pen of one of the greatest Māori thinkers and writers of his generation, the settlement of the Pacific Ocean comes to life. The book ranges across the Pacific Ocean and the people who populated it, considering their physical and spiritual origins, and the ships they built to conquer this vast territory. It weighs evidence for different routes, retells myths of migration including the Māui series, recounts the author’s visits to islands and atolls across the South Pacific, and overall establishes the ‘vikings’ of the Pacific among the greatestever ocean voyagers. First published in 1938, Vikings of the Sunrise is here reproduced in an enhanced facsimile edition, including photos and maps compiled by the author on his voyages, and a new foreword by anthropologist Paora (Paul) Tapsell. Oratia Books is pleased to bring Vikings of the Sunrise back into print for modern readers as part of our NZ Classics series. -
Voices from the Surf 80 Years of the Karekare Surf Lifesaving Club ISBN: 978-0-473-33052-1 RRP: $49.99 Specs: 260 x 305 mm landscape, 208 pp (120 pp colour) PB Includes DVD documentary Published: December 2015 The Book: Karekare is one of the most iconic beaches of New Zealand – and one of the most dangerous. It has been said that in its 80 years the Karekare Surf Lifesaving Club has saved over 2000 people from death by drowning in the surf – beginning with New Zealand’s first seaplane rescue in 1935, a story brilliantly retold here by Charles Hamlin. Voices from the Surf collects the voices of generations of lifeguards since, with tales of brave rescues, competition success, club camaraderie, and many reflections on the bond that the ‘clubbies’ have with the special, spiritual landscape that is Karekare. There is a lot of yarn telling and living history in this book; open it anywhere to read a ripping story. -
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. -
Waka Taua: The Māori War Canoe Author: Jeff Evans ISBN: 978-0-947506-39-1 RRP: $37.99 Specs: 250 x 185 mm portrait, PB, 76 pp, b&w Published by Oratia Books: April 2017 The Book: A Māori war canoe being paddled a full speed is an awesome sight. Thanks to the renaissance in canoe building, more and more traditional waka taua are on the waterways, and feature in major events like the Queen’s Jubilee. Waka Taua gives a concise introduction to all aspects of the war canoe: its history, recent revival, types and variants, phase of building, parts of the waka, crew responsibilities and paddling techniques. With numerous historical and contemporary photographs and drawings, this easy-to-read book is the perfect reference for these amazing craft. Praise for the first edition of Waka Taua: ‘What a valuable and timely book, there being something of a rebirth in canoe building at present’ – Northern Advocate ‘It is Evans’ passion for his subject that makes this book special’ – Weekend Herald ‘.., has value and merit for all those interested in the history of waka taua’ – Hirini Melbourne, Waikato TimesE-book available from
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Title: Warrior Kids: Warrior Training for Children Author: Tim Tipene ISBN: 978-1-877514-22-7 RRP: $44.99 Specs: A4 portrait, PB, 232 pp (8 pp colour) Published: October 2011 The Book: Warrior Kids is a pioneering programme that over the past 17 years has empowered thousands of children across New Zealand, many of them from challenged backgrounds. Focusing on bringing out the warrior within, the programme draws upon Maori concepts of the warrior and Eastern martial arts in a non-aggressive way designed to instil confidence, respect and self-control, leading children to become masters of their lives. Warrior Kids: Warrior Training for Children features the complete ten sessions of the in-school programme in a format that instructors can apply to their own work with young people.E-book available from
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Whakarongo ki ō Tūpuna Listen to your Ancestors Author: Darryn Joseph Illustrator: Munro Te Whata ISBN: 978-0-947506-62-9 RRP: $25.99 Specs: 270 x 210 mm portrait, HB, 32 pp, colour Published: 10 September 2019 WINNER: NZSA New Zealand Literary Heritage Awards 2020, Te Reo Māori section The Book: One night in June 2016, Massey University language lecturer Darryn Joseph sat in a hospital room minding a teacher who had become a dear friend and mentor to him. Darryn wrote her a poem of appreciation, kissed her hand and said goodbye; the next day she passed away. That poem is contained in Whakarongo ki ō Tūpuna/Listen to your Ancestors, which is written in te Reo Māori with English translation. The story follows a beloved teacher giving her pupils and grand-daughter guidance by directing them to follow the examples of Māori gods and ancestors. The book is illustrated by emerging artist Munro Te Whata, who has vividly brought to life settings in a school, the outdoors and a rest home in a colourful and fun style. Whakarongo ki ō Tūpuna teaches the values represented by Māori gods and ancestors, and provides a much-needed tool for reading in te Reo. And at its heart this is a story of love and respect, harking back to the friendship that inspired its writing. -
Whakarongo ki ō Tūpuna Listen to your ancestors Author: Darryn Joseph Illustrator: Munro Te Whata ISBN: 978-0-947506-67-4 RRP: $22.99 Specs: 270 x 210 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Published: 5 March 2024 WINNER: NZSA New Zealand Literary Heritage Awards 2020, Te Reo Māori sectionKia toa, e hine mā, e tama mā, kia kaua hoki koutou e whakamā. Me waiata koutou ki ngā manu o tō koutou tūpuna, o Tāne-mahuta. Be bold now, girls and boys, it’s no time to be shy. Sing to the birds of your ancestor, The Great Forest. This poignant story is set in a school and then rest home environment, following the life lessons passed from a teacher to her pupils, and aligning these with the example set by Māori gods and ancestors. As the story unfolds the teacher ages and retires, and we see the beautiful and caring relationship between ‘Nan’ and her granddaughter. Nan passes away; we are reminded of the circular nature of life as her granddaughter begins to teach her own pupils lessons from the ancestors. -
Title: Whāriki The growth of Māori community entrepreneurship Authors: Merata Kawharu and Paul Tapsell ISBN: 978-0-947506-63-6 RRP: $39.99 Specs: 234 x 153 mm portrait, PB with flaps, 200 pp, b&w Published: 5 November 2019 The Book: Understanding what drives enterprise within an indigenous cultural space is not widely understood in New Zealand. Whāriki reveals how kin-based business ventures created by Māori have promoted social, economic and environmental wellbeing from the whenua (land) up. Its core is eight case studies — some arising from iwi-driven ideas, some ideas from marae-based whanau. These range from a bee school in Northland, ginseng growing in the King Country, to the rehabilitation of Māori prisoners in Dunedin and a web-engaged response to accessing tribal marae. Always reaching into ancestral ties and lessons to provide guidance and foundation for their ideas, these businesses are wrapped in cultural approaches that engage kin communities in improving the wellbeing of their iwi, hapū and whānau. This book explores the successes, the failures, the learnings and the futures of these opportunities for Māori. -
Title: What’s in a Name? He aha tō te Ingoa? Author: Renisa Viraj Maki Illustrator: Isobel Te Aho-White Māori translation by Hona Black ISBN: 978-1-99-004263-8 RRP: $22.99 Specs: PB, 270 x 210 mm portrait, 32 pp, colour Published: 5 November 2024 For Teacher Resource: click here ‘I’m worried about saying the names correctly,’ Priyanka says when she gets tasked with reading out student names at the end-of-year school assembly. Determined to say them correctly, she goes on a chase to find her classmates and learn how to pronounce their names. She meets Arihia, Xinze, Somachandra, Sean and Tausa’afia, learns about their names and practises hard for the big day. Renisa Maki tells a gentle and heart-warming story that crosses cultures and highlights the mana our names carry. Superbly illustrated by Isobel Te AhoWhite and translated into te reo Māori by Hona Black, What's in a Name? is a book to read and reread at home or school. -
Title: When Dad Came Home Author: Vanessa Hatley-Owen Illustrator: Rosie Colligan ISBN: 978-0-947506-50-6 RRP: $21.00 Specs: 230 x 215 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Publishing: 8 November 2018 Teacher resource for classroom use: Click here The Book: The war was over and Dad was coming home at last! But the days and weeks go by, and when he does return Dad is not the happy man that young Rita once knew and Thomas thinks he remembers. Struggling to understand his sadness and fears, the kids accompany him as he readjusts to home life, all the while singing his favourite song. One day, while they help him fix the deck, Dad starts to join in the song … Vanessa Hatley-Owen and Rosie Colligan beautifully capture a children’s view of family love and the realities of shell shock for the men who returned after the First World War ended on 11 November 1918. -
Wiremu Pere The Life and Times of a Maori Leader, 1837–1915 Author: Joseph Anaru Te Kani Pere & others ISBN: 978-1-877514-09-8 RRP: $95.00 Specs: Jacketed hardback, 240 x 180 mm, 448 pp, includes foldout land deed and map Published: November 2010 The Book: Wiremu Pere (Wi Pere) lived from 1837 to 1915, leading his tribes of Rongowhakaata and Te Aitanga a Mahaki through some of the most turbulent chapters of New Zealand history. He stood resolute against colonialism and entered parliament to stand up for his East Coast people, yet was astute in his business dealings and was compromised in the views of many Pakeha and Maori. This handsome book, illustrated with numerous photographs, whakapapa and maps, sets out the many sides Wi Pere’s life and times with a particular focus on his family life, parliamentary career and contributions to the East CoastE-book available from
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Title: Woolly Wally Author: Dawn McMillan Illustrator: Ross Kinnaird ISBN: 978-0-947506-42-1 RRP: $21.00 Specs: 230 x 215 mm portrait, PB, 32 pp, colour Published: NEW EDITION WITH NEW ISBN PUBLISHED 13 JUNE 2018 The Book: Wally is the sheep supreme, the master of his flock, proud to be the handsome head of his faithful ewes. But pride, as they say, comes before a fall — or in Wally’s case, a date with the shearing shed. What will Wally and his flock learn once they have lost their fine fleeces? First published in 2006, Woolly Wally is now back in an upgraded new edition that blends fun with a universal moral. -
Title: You Don’t Know How Lucky You Are! Me i Mōhio Koe ki tō Waimarietanga! My Beautiful Family Author: Belinda O’Keefe Illustrator: Ross Kinnaird Translator: Te Ama-Rere-Tai Rangihuna ISBN: 978-1-99-004236-2 RRP: $21.00 Specs: PB, 230 x 215 mm, 32 pp, colour Published: 5 July 2023When Izzy moans about unloading the dishwasher, Great-uncle Arthur says, ‘You don’t know how lucky you are!”
He’s always done something worse — like hand-washing stacks of dishes, or dodging arrows in a battle.
As the stories get wilder — taking three days to finish a meal of tough old food, for example — his great-niece starts to wonder if Arthur may be exaggerating a little …
Emerging author Belinda O’Keefe joins forces with well-known illustrator Ross Kinnaird in this fun book that helps young readers connect with the experience of their grandparents’ generation.
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