Bookish - Perfect for Presents

Bonjour :-)

How is it that we're already in October?? Today I'm excited to talk about more books by excellent New Zealand writers. These would all make great presents for people in your world. If you buy them from your local bookshop you'll be supporting local and supporting local authors and publishers - triple win! :-)

Oh Boy: A Storybook of Epic NZ Men by Stuart Lipshaw is a wonderful contribution to the the profiles of inspiring people that are popping up at the moment.

Raising 2 boys means these kind of books are very welcome at our place. (We do have girl books too because we can be inspired by anyone.) This book has a great line up of men who have had a real influence in their chosen fields from artists to inventors, from sportsmen to surgeons there are so many great men to be introduced to. A great book for quick stories with a wide variety of illustrators there is also a real assortment of artistic styles. These kind of stories are great jumping off points for talking about ambition, hard work and resilience. This one stays on the coffee table or nearby at our place for easy grabbing - a perfect book for dipping in and out.

I love that these kind of books push us to realise their are so many great people who are kiwis and are doing/have done great things for Aotearoa and the world.

Super gift for any family in NZ!

Details - Penguin Random House, October 2018 RRP $45.00 HB

Wake Up Bear by Lynley Dodd

As an illustrator and writer Dodd is synonymous with excellent books created for small people. Her feeling for language and stories that last the test of time is so well established. Wake up Bear is a book full of delightful interactions as all the animals try to wake up bear for Spring.

Will anyone succeed in waking up bear or will someone very small offer a little incentive that will get past everyone else's efforts?? Fun, sweet and joyful - as can be expected of Dodd.

Details - Penguin Random House, August 2018 RRP $17.99 PB

Hero of the Sea: Sir Peter Blake's Mighty Ocean Quests by David Hill and Phoebe Morris

The next in this great series of influential New Zealanders. I hadn't appreciated that my littles wouldn't have heard of Sir Peter Blake. This story has all the wonder and joy of a life lived for ocean adventure.

I love that this book includes Blake's death by pirates - not in a gratuitous or violent way - but that it sits with the sorrow of a life cut short. Death by old age seems an acceptable thing in children's books but that can be limiting of the reality that we experience as people. It's good that this book gives a framework to discussions of loss and living onwards. (It includes the lives of Pippa and the children to the present).

My nine year old LOVED the red socks - especially on the elephant in the zoo. Like the others in the series it has a great timeline as well. I can imagine this series will be very enjoyed by small people with particular passions and also by people doing special projects on famous kiwis.

I hope as the series continues (I am assuming it will) that it will include Māori, Pasifika and other cultures. Super pleased to see a woman included and looking forward to more of them too.

Details - Penguin Random House, October 2018 RRP $25.00 HB

Love you more than being inspired on home turf xxx

Bookish - For those who care

Hi Again,

More amazing titles from Aotearoa authors who care for conserving our beautiful land.

New Zealand's Great Walks: The Complete Guide by Paul and Shelley Hersey.

This husband and wife team, photographer and writer, have put together a beautiful book of Aotearoa's nine great walks (one is actually a river journey). The book is a testament to their love for the land and the outdoors and opens with a challenge to all who walk the tracks to play their part in defending and protecting the amazing environment we enjoy here. The book includes great information for any walker, cycler, kayaker as well as very detailed descriptions of each walk. Included is a graph of the topography, a map of the walk, highlights and lengths and times for each day as well as plenty of other goodies.

This is a fabulous book for anyone who loves tramping and exploring. Plenty of details to whet the appetite! I can think of quite a few people in my life that would love this for Christmas.

Details - Penguin Random House, September 2018 RRP $45.00

Eco Home by Melinda Williams.

We're hoping to dive into a bit of a renovation project at our place and I'm keen for us to make as little impact as we can environmentally speaking. This book has a wealth of accessible, inspiring and detailed information for anyone who is wanting to make 'greener' choices in their own project. It's not just for builders or renovators though the book also has great info boxes throughout to help give ideas to anyone who would like to just live a little lighter on the planet. It's great to have a book like this written in a NZ context as often international books have things that we cannot source here.

I'm so enjoying all the things I'm learning and I love that there are plenty of photos scattered throughout to keep the inspiration levels high. A perfect gift for anyone whose making lifestyle changes or request your local library to get a copy I'm sure it will get plenty of borrowing.

Details - Penguin Random House, September 2018 RRP $45.00

love you more than treasuring what we have xxx

Books to Enjoy With a Cup of Tea

Kia ora koutou,

I love having books that I can dip in and out of for a few quiet minutes. Two books that sit near me on the couch for that very purpose are Big Weather: Poems of Wellington and I Am New Zealand: Aotearoa Through My Eyes.

Big Weather is a book of collected poetry that capture the shapes and sounds of our capital city.

The authors range from established poets like Hone Tuwhare to emerging voices on the poetry scene. My husband grew up in Wellington and we have family who live there so it's familiar territory for me. This book would make a great gift for anyone who loves poetry and the land and cityscapes of our capital city. I love how a good poem can completely transport you in a few moments and words to another place.

Details - Penguin Random House, June 2018 RRP $30.00 PB

I Am New Zealand is a book of stunning photography capturing their NZ.

It stemmed from a Nikon photography competition. The book travels from Cape Reinga all the way to Stewart Island and the variety of images is stunning. It's a book that makes me want to travel the length and breadth of my own country. It's a wonderful testament to the beauty of this whenua and the creative ability of those who dwell in it behind the camera lens.

This would make a fantastic gift for anyone and I am so enjoying the way it expands my heart as I linger with different images over a cup of tea and the sound of birdsong. Also all profits from the book are being donated to the Mental Health Foundation of NZ, wins!

Details - Penguin Random House, October 2018 RRP $45.00

It is so good to see books being published in Aotearoa by our own. I think it's especially important to support these kind of books.

Love you more than a cup of tea and birdsong xxx

Bookish - The Hunters

Heya friends,

I am always keen to see books that highlight more of what makes Aotearoa unique as a nation - culturally, geographically and in terms of our flora and fauna.

The Hunters by Debbie Stewart is a hugely comprehensive book that will satisfy any bird lover, especially those who are interested in birds of prey.

The book is an excellent mix of photography, 'at a glance' style pages of facts, profiles, and much longer chunks of text around various topics.

There is an introduction to all our birds of prey as well as chapters covering Māori and birds of prey and extinct birds of prey. However the book does not stay in history, it covers all the kind of information anyone might like to know from falconry practises to how urban dwellers can encourage birds of prey and support their population growth.

I especially like that all birds are given their Māori, English and Latin names and that there is a relaxed approach to the use of these names throughout the book.

There's even a great page on the turns of phrase and language that have become part of popular vernacular that relate to falconry - including terms like 'under the thumb' and 'hoodwink'.

A beautiful, comprehensive book written with an expert mind and a bird lover's heart. This would make an excellent gift.

Details - Penguin Random House, June 2018 RRP $50.00

love you more than new knowledge of local and long ago things xxx

Bookish - Finding

Aloha,

I'm enjoying squeezing in moments here and there to read. This year I am studying and working alongside my usual life so the time I have for leisure is precious and I am trying to guard it more carefully and use it more intentionally and joyfully.

Much better to lose an hour in a book than reading alarming things and social media rants online!

Finding by David Hill is a great novel that follows an intertwining of two whānau through seven generations.

The novel spans from 1886 through to 2018 and tells everyday mundane and extraordinary events of two Māori and Pakeha families. There has clearly been research that has gone into giving the book depth and plausibility.

Each chapter is told in the voice/s of a new generation and it is great to feel the link between the generations.

This sort of book makes me want to know more of the family stories that give me life.

A very readable novel. Suitable for competent readers of upper primary and beyond. A great way to delve into some of our history's events in a way that brings them to life.

Details - Penguin Random House NZ, May 2018 RRP $19.99

love you more than a wonderful discovery during a very near miss xxx

Bookish - A Māori Word a Day

Ngā mihi koutou,

I love that there seems to be a groundswell (in my circles anyway) of people who are hungry to extend their knowledge of Te Reo Māori. As part of my learning journey I receive an email every day with a word and sentence and so I was thrilled to see Hēmi Kelly's book A Māori Word a Day come out too.

The book is beautifully laid out with a Māori word, it's definition and classification and a couple of rad sentences you can use with the word in it. One for every day of the year.

The book is a really nice size too so you could easily pop it on your desk at work or in a draw that's handy so you can try out your kupu hou (new words).

There is a pronunciation guide at the front and the great thing about Māori is that once you have that nailed down you can work out any word.

If you are wanting to go on a journey to use Te Reo or enhance the quantity you have this is an excellent resource.

Details - Penguin Random House, February 2018 RRP $30.00

love you more than a kaputī (cup of tea) xxx

Bookish - How Maui Slowed the Sun

Mauri Ora!

If you grew up in my era in New Zealand the book How Maui Slowed the Sun by Peter Gossage will probably be instantly familiar to you.

Maui's slowing of the sun is probably one of the best known legend's of Maui's exploits and the illustrations have a distinctive style. The story follows Maui's scheme to lengthen the days to help his people have longer for the things that needed to be done each day.

This new version is a board book - larger than a usual small square book it is more like a novel in height and length which makes it a good size for holding.

The text is all in English so it is a great start for those who want to introduce the legends of Aotearoa. There is some use of Te Reo Māori in the book as well but where the words might be new the English partner is offered in brackets or incorporated into the sentence.

A beautiful book for your little person that still needs board books but with more text and narrative than many others.

Details - Penguin Random House, November 2017 RRP $15.99 Board Book

love you more than a plaited rope xxx

Bookish - Māori At Home

Kia ora Whånau,

In Aotearoa this week it is Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori. My first step has been to set up a Måori keyboard on my computer so I can add macrons/tohuto to the words I am familiar with. As you can see this is still a work in progress because my computer isn't adding a macron it's adding some other weird thing. (I would know what that weird thing was if grammar had been more popular to teach when I went through the education system, but that is a whole other thing!)

I was super excited to request Måori at Home by Scott and Stacey Morrison and I am hopeful that it will improve and inspire my own basic reo use at home and school. The book is super accessible with a warm and encouraging introduction that inspires you to have a plan and have a go.

The rest of the chapters are divided into places where you may commonly be with whånau. Things like 'before school', 'the playground' and the 'digital world' are included. These chapters are predominantly about the kupu (words) you would use in these places but also include simple sentences, sentence starters and some family activities that could help you build reo in that context.

I think this book is an excellent start person for any person who'd like to have a go with their tamariki in using reo but feels a little out of their depth - either kupu or grammar wise. It is a very user friendly resource and I am planning to use it with my whånau and also in the contexts where I am teaching.

Tau ké! - Magnificent! (and the macron has changed again ??)

I would so encourage anyone to have a go, many of us are just on baby steps but those are better than no steps at all and we are setting an example for the tamariki that look up to us. :-)

And just as I come to the end I've worked it out! Watch out world - I may have macrons sorted!

Details - Penguin Random House NZ, September 2017 RRP $35.00

love you more than a kupu o te ra xxx