BLIMMIN’ KORO! / KĀTAHI RĀ, E KORO E! Written by Jill Bevan-Brown; Translated by Māhaki Bevan-Brown Illustrated by Trish Bowles Oratia Books; RRP: RRP: $25.99 Hardback Blimmin’ Koro is a touching story (and which I struggled to not shed a tear) about a koro who becomes forgetful, uses a wheelchair and stops talking. His moko, Kotukū, and other mokopuna over time learn how to adjust and support their koro as they learn about dementia. Both the text and the illustrations demonstrate the aroha that is evident in this multigenerational story. Many tamariki too will see themselves within the sensitively drawn illustrations that show not just a multigenerational family being together but also how a family can have both physical similarities and differences. At the end of the book is a gentle message that adults can share with children about aging. For tamariki 4+. KAEWA THE KORORĀ Written by Rachel Haydon Illustrated by Pippa Keel Massey University Press; RRP: $24.99 Paperback This is a gorgeous book with appealing and informative text alongside warm and descriptive illustrations that will delight young readers as they get to know the personalities and antics of some of the ‘real’ kororā crew who live at the National Aquarium of New Zealand in Napier. The aquarium protects and rehabilitates kororā and is a perfect introduction to the many hazards that face our smallest penguins from both natural elements and man-made. The text is in English but uses a sprinkle of well-known te reo Māori throughout which grounds the book in being from Aotearoa New Zealand. At the end of the book are photos and descriptions of some of the long-term residents from the aquarium and who we meet in the story. The story is quite long but the wording is simple and engaging for tamariki 3+. TIKANGA: AN INTRODUCTION TO TE AO MĀORI By Keri Opai Upstart Press; RRP: $39.99 Opai describes Tikanga as a glimpse into te ao Māori from an insider’s perspective, showing a Māori ‘way of doing things’, including customary practices and values to guide a beginner to te ao Māori. He explores some aspects of tikanga Māori (customs and protocols) for the reader with a strong emphasis on te reo Māori, such as how to treat the language as a taonga, with respect, and throughout the book highlights the connection between te reo Māori and te ao Māori to support the reader’s understanding. The book is written in a light-hearted manner, with a conversational tone, offering practical advice to someone unsure of what to do in certain situations within a Māori context such as a tangihanga. Although Opai has kept the explanations simple, the book covers a wide range of topics, that offer insight to some tikanga that may be wellknown but not so much the understanding of why it is so. As a trained educator myself, I knew some of these aspects of tikanga and te ao Māori, but there was still lots of wisdom I gained and some topics I wanted to follow up with further reading to advance my own knowledge. Some topics covered included; pepeha, pōwhiri, and the restoring of te ao Māori (ie decolonisation, indigenisation and the power of being informed). As a Pākehā I found this book reassuring in the knowledge I gained, and will be a useful resource for early learning centres to support and grow their own knowledge, to support decision-making (ie if there is a tangihanga within their own ECE community), and as a starting point to deepen your own understanding of te ao Māori. March 2022 { 35 }
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=