Swings + Roundabouts Winter 2021

ELLIE COPTER: NEE NAW AND FRIENDS By Deano Yipadee Illustrated by Paul Beavis Scholastic; RRP: $19.99 Paperback Straight away you know how popular this book is going to be with young children, considering how popular the New Naw and Stink-o-saurus books are. Ellie Copter: Nee Naw and Friends introduces a new spin-off character that children will love and many will relate to, especially considering how often we are seeing helicopters fight fires here in Aotearoa and especially Australia and parts of the US. This book is situated in the country where two goats, Plinky and Plonky are trapped. Nee Naw is on the way, but when a bridge collapses, Ellie Copter is called into action and saves the day! Like the other books in the series, there is an easy-to-sing melody and thankfully to the delight of young listeners there is the popular Nee Naw refrain, “Nee Naw! Nee Naw! I’m a little fire engine. Nee Naw! I’m happy I’m me.” Ellie Copter: Nee Naw and Friends with it’s fun lyrics (the song is downloadable) and storyline, alongside the hilarious and quirky illustrations will be enjoyed by children 2+. I TE TIMATANGA / IN THE BEGINNING Retold and illustrated by Peter Gossage Nā Kāterina Te Heikōkō Mataira I whakamāori Scholastic; RRP: $19.99 This new edition of I te Timatanga / In the Beginning is to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the bilingual edition of the Māori creation story. Many of us will have one of the many editions of this book in our early learning centres and as we know is a great addition to the learning of the atua o te ao Māori as tamariki is introduced to each of the children (atua Māori) and the role they play in te ao Māori. This edition has a new vibrant cover and what I really love is the how this edition features bilingual text on each page allowing the reader to read both in reo Pākehā and/or te reo Māori or intertwine or translanguage both the languages together to support te reo Māori learners. If your current version of this classic is looking a bit worn and overloved I’d definitely recommend this updated edition. For tamariki 2+. FLIT THE FANTAIL AND THE MATARIKI MAP By Kat Quin Scholastic; RRP: $19.99 Paperback Flit the Fantail and the Matariki Map is the third book in this popular series about Flit the Fantail, and many readers will know Quin’s work through the bestselling Kuwi the Kiwi series including the very popular Kuwi & Friends Māori Picture Dictionary . Flit the Fantail and the Matariki Map is another great edition to your stories around Matariki and introduces the idea of how stars have in a role in navigation, especially for our past explorers. When Flit and his friend Keri the kiwi get lost when trying to catch the moon, they use the Matariki stars to guide their way home. Flit remembers the cluster of stars he had spotted above his nest. There were nine stars. He remembers the shape they made. Then he scours the sooty sky for that set of stars. He counts, ‘Tahi, rua, toru, whā, rima, ono,whitu, waru … and iwa!’ Nine stars. ‘There they are! That’s the way home.' This clever and heart-warming book, alongside the bright and cute illustrations offers some insight into Matariki, the role of stars in navigation, problem-solving, working together to solve problems and will be enjoyed by tamariki 2+. There is also a Māori edition available: Ko Flit, te Tīrairaka me te Mahere Matariki. June 2021 { 42 }