Major international recognition announced for Māori children’s authors and illustrators
Rere Atu Taku Poi!/Let My Poi Fly! and Tōku Whānau Rerehua/My Beautiful Family, both published by Oratia Books, were selected from a worldwide field of titles in indigenous and endangered languages.
The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) joined with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to create this collection, which was revealed overnight at the IBBY World Congress in Ottawa, Canada.
Rere Atu Taku Poi! , written by Tāmaki-Makaurau author and academic Tangaroa Paul and illustrated by Ōtautahi artist Rebecca Gibbs, tells of a boy named Rangi who dreams of joining the girls in the poi section of his school’s kapa haka performance. Co-published with Auckland Council Libraries, Rere Atu Taku Poi! has been made into a stage play by Taki Rua Productions, and received a 2024 Storylines Notable Book Award.
Tōku Whānau Rerehua, by Waikato-based teacher Rauhina Cooper with illustrations by award- winning Wellington artist Isobel Te Aho-White, relates how young Huia overcomes her shyness about having two mums when she has to present at the school’s family day.
‘We are delighted by the honour for these books, which promote indigenous languages as well as values of diversity and inclusion,’ commented Carolyn Lagahetau, Oratia Books’ editorial director. ‘Ngā mihi nunui ki a Tangaroa, Rebecca, Rauhina rātou ko Isobel.’
