A Manulele in a Mango Tree: Le Manulele o nofo i le Mago
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A partridge in a pear tree is something you won't see at Christmas in New Zealand, let alone the South Pacific. But a colourful bird in a mango tree - that's more like it.
A Manulele in a Mango Tree brings the '12 Days of Christmas' to the South Pacific with gifts including frangipani, corned beef, drummers and fire dancers.
Strikingly illustrated with woodblock prints, this bilingual book gives a summery setting to Christmas while celebrating many aspects of Pacific culture, from weaving to drumming to dance.
In the vein of the classic A Pukeko in a Ponga Tree, this picture book will make a great gift or a fun read around the Christmas tree.
Author: Sarona Aiono-Iosefa
ISBN: 9781990042928
Publisher: Oratia Media
Published: 05/11/2025
Format: Paperback / softback
About the Author
Sarona Aiono-Iosefa is a Samoan-New Zealander who writes books for children. Born in Christchurch, New Zealand to parents who had emigrated from Samoa, she studied journalism at Wellington Polytechnic then transferred to the University of Canterbury to study English literature, graduating in 1984.Aiono-Iosefa's writing reflects her experiences growing up as a Pacific Islander in Christchurch. She has written several books for children which have been published in English and six different Pacific languages. In 2007, she was the Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer in Residence at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.
Steven Dunn is an artist and illustrator. He lives in Christchurch, where he works as a graphic designer.
Le'autuli Sauvao is an educator and noted translator of Gagana Samoa (the Samoan language). She lives in Wellington.