Nā Ngaere Roberts rāua ko Christine Dale
Te Whare (OneTree House) is suitable for all ages, from pēpi to pākeke. The pēpi is guiding the reader through the whare, on the hunt for something special. The reader will notice the repetitiveness of kupu Māori “kei te taha” (beside).
Good use of simple, basic te reo Māori for the beginner and also for reading to the younger audience. The reader will be able to match the kupu with the pictures, which is very helpful to increase your reo Māori vocabulary. On the last page is an activity that takes you back into the story to find other things, which would be exciting for the young reader. I think this is a great resource for all kaiako in ECE as well as at primary level. Ngā mihi ki a kōrua e hāpai ana i tō tātou reo rangatira.
Ko Kiwi Mā (OneTree House) is another book by the authors using the same format, Te Whare. This keeps the reader consistent with the language being used, and the pictures are easily identifiable. Again, simple and basic but the writers are using this book to support counting in te reo Māori. The use of creatures from Tane Mahuta and Tangaroa keeps the essence of the book authentic and related to Te Ao Māori. Kaiako mā, tamariki mā, tātou katoa e āhei ana te pānuitia i tēnei pukapuka.
Suitable for all ages, for kaiako, children and other interested readers. In both books the use of certain colours makes the book easy to communicate with and connect to. There are a number of ways the kaiako can use this book to extend on counting with the use of te reo Māori.
Anō nei te mihi ki a kōrua e kaha tuhituhi ana wēnei pukapuka mā tātou. Haere tōnu, haere tōnu ngā mihi ki a kōrua.
Reviewed by Manu Pohatu
