The Lost Words: How My Mum Found Her Reo

Nā Kimberley Ngareta Kearney rāua ko Taylor Terewai Tiave Nā Pania Papa ngā kōrero i whakamāori

Nā Eden (11), Titan (9), Ngakuru (10), Rumi (8) i arotake

E pirangi ana te māmā ki te ako i te reo Māori, engari kua ngaro ētahi kupu, nā reira, kua rapu haere a Māmā i ēnei kupu. Nō te taiao, nō ōna tūpuna, nō tana kōtiro ngā kupu, ā, he uaua ētahi. Ko tāna, kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui ngā kaipānui.

E rata pai ana mātou ki te pukapuka nā te mea, kei te ako tonu ō mātou māmā ki te reo rangatira, ko mātou hoki. Kua ako mātou i ētahi kupu nā te mea kua whakaatu mai i ngā kupu ingoa. He pai rawa atu nga pikitia, he pai ki a mātou nga kīwaha me ngā whakataukī pēnā i te, “ko tōku reo tōku ohooho, ko tōku reo tōku māpihi maurea.”

I whakaaro mātou, mehemea ka tīmata te pukapuka ki te reo Māori paku noa iho, kātahi ka maha ake ngā kupu reo Māori, ka tino pai!

He pukapuka mō te whānau katoa. 

Ngā mihi ki a Te Uru Karaka Newton Central School E whakahahaki ana mātou i ētahi o ngā pukapuka, he hou, he mīharo anō hoki. He pukapuka ēnei mā ngā kaipānui tamariki kua tuhia ki te reo Māori. Ko wai atu hei whakatakoto i ō rātou whakaaro, i tua atu i ngā kaipānui tamariki? Kua tuku mai ngā ākonga o te Manga Rumaki Reo o Te Kura o Te Uru Karaka i ā rātou arotake mō ngā pukapuka hou e wha. Pānuitia mai

Young reader reviews. 'We liked the sayings and proverbs, like “ko tōku reo tōku ohooho, ko tōku reo tōku māpihi maurea” (my language is my most prized possession).'

Written by Kimberley Ngareta Kearney and illustrated by Taylor Terewai Tiave Reviewed by Te Aranga (11), Beau (8), Tirama (8), Te Aurere (10)

The mum wants to learn Māori, but some words have been lost, so she goes searching for them. The words come from the environment, from her ancestors, and from her daughter, and some are difficult. Her message to readers is to be strong, be brave, and keep going.

We like this book because our mums are still learning the Māori language too, just like us. We learned some words because the book shows the names of things. The pictures are really good, and we liked the sayings and proverbs, like “ko tōku reo tōku ohooho, ko tōku reo tōku māpihi maurea” (my language is my most prized possession).

We thought that if the book started with just a little bit of Māori and then added more and more Māori words as it progressed, that would be really great!

This is a book for the whole family.

Thanks to Te Uru Karaka Newton Central School We’re spotlighting some of the new and awesome books for young readers published in te reo Māori. And who better to give their opinions than young readers themselves! The students from Te Uru Karaka Newton Central School’s Māori Language Immersion Unit/Rumaki Reo have filed their reviews on four new books. Read more