Scottish Granny’s reading of I Need a New BumI cracks 330,000 views in under four days

MEDIA RELEASE

26 September 2018: For immediate release

The Scottish Granny Janice Clark has scored another New Zealand hit with her online reading of bestselling picture book I Need a New Bum!

The Brisbane-based Scottish gran has had 330,000 views and more than 6,500 shares on Facebook since posting a video on Saturday evening reading the book to grandson Archer — and sales are on a roll.

The Scottish Granny cracks up on reading I Need a New Bum!

Video of the Scottish Granny reduced to gales of laughter has made this already the second-most popular post by the Scottish Granny, in the wake of another Kiwi children’s hit, The Wonky Donkey. 

I Need a New Bum! is already a bestseller, having sold over 50,000 copies in New Zealand since publication in 2012. On Monday Whitcoulls again named it among its annual Kids’ Top 50.

Author Dawn McMillan has been dazzled by interest following the Scottish Granny’s reading, saying: “I’m just thrilled with the success of this book and reaching kids and adult readers around the world.”

Sales spikes are on the cards for the US edition (I Need a New Butt!), plus the Chinese — helped by illustrator Ross Kinnaird’s promotional visit to Beijing last week. 

Promotional poster for a bookshop appearched by Ross Kinnaird in Beijing on 16 September 

New Zealand publisher Oratia Books is planning a hurried reprint of I Need a New Bum! to meet demand. 

The book shows the imaginings of a boy who discovers his bum has a crack and sets out to find a new one. 

ENDS

The Scottish Granny reads I Need a New Bum!

Facebook phenomenon The Scottish Granny has done it again! Her reading last night of I Need a New Bum!, the bestseller by Dawn McMillan and Ross Kinnaird, was a crack-up – and has caused a surge of interest from around the world. 

Her reading of Craig Smith's Wonky Donkey led to a massive spike in book sales, so it's lucky that we have a decent stock of books in the warehouse.

Click below to see the Granny and grandson reading I Need a New Bum!

Seals, sunsets and taniwha

Yesterday's launch of The Taniwha in our Backyard was a game of two halves — a guided walk around places in Muriwai that feature in the book, and then kai and korero back in The Surf Club at Muriwai.

The Surf Club at Muriwai provided a superb venue for the launch

A group of keen walkers gathered at 5 pm to follow author Malcolm Paterson in a tour of the area, in brisk weather with the sun about to go down off Auckland's spectacular West Coast.

Malcolm Paterson (centre) guides the group around heritage sites  in Muriwai

When the group returned by 6 pm, one guest summed it up enthusiastically as "seals, sunsets and taniwha" — after seeing a fur seal, beholding a spectacular sunset, and entering a cave inhabited by one of Muriwai's taniwha (supernatural creatures).

Meeting a Muriwai local – a fur seal in its element

Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara leader Margaret Kawharu initiated formalities at the launch with a mihi that acknowledged the ancestors and history of the south Kaipara, and reflected on the initiative and dedication that Malcolm has shown in connecting children to their local history via his books. 

Ngāti Whātua representatives led by Margaret Kawharu (right) join in a waiata

Margaret Kawharu initiates the launch with Oratia Books publisher Peter Dowling (right)

Malcolm spoke of his journey from initiating the Sharing our Stories project as part of a Future Auckland Leaders programme through the Committee for Auckland, to the present day when the third book in the series has been published.

Author Malcolm Paterson 

He paid tribute to the support of iwi and whānau, including his sister Mihera (who created one of the stories in the book) and wife Lavinia (whose Malaysian whānau inspired the character of Aunty Mina), and endorsed the message of strength in diversity that the book seeks to represent.

Martin Bailey talks of bringing his own backyard to life in the new book

Muriwai-based illustrator Martin Bailey then talked of his pleasure in being able to bring to life the environment around his home, before Mihi Blair of Ngāti Whātua (who is also a Future Auckland Leaders alumnus) closed the speeches with a karakia

Mihi Blair (left) sums up proceedings on behalf of the mana whenua and also Future Auckland Leaders

It was immensely satisfying to witness the support from the local community for the work that Malcolm and Martin had undertaken, and particularly to see children getting absorbed in the book.

The Taniwha in our Backyard was supported by Whiti Ora o Kaipara Charitable Trust through a grant form the Auckland Diversity Project Fund (funded by Creative New Zealand and Foundation North).

The book is available from all good booksellers or via the Oratia Media website:

https://www.oratia.co.nz/product/the-taniwha-in-our-backyard/

And listen out for Malcolm's interview with Dale Husband on Radio Wātea after 11 am on Monday 17 September.

Photographs by Carolyn Lagahetau (who also edited the book!)

Launching a Taniwha for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori

Māori Language Week/Te Wiki o te Reo Māori begins today, with the theme ‘Kia Kaha te Reo Māori’— ‘Let’s make the Māori language strong’.

Helping to make te Reo strong and connect our tamariki with the land and history around them is the kaupapa of Sharing Our Stories, a series of books by Malcolm Paterson (Ngāti Whātua). 

The Taniwha in our Backyard, the third in the series, will be launched at Muriwai this Thursday. 

With text in te Reo, English and Malay, and superb illustrations by Martin Bailey,The Taniwha in our Backyard strengthens understanding of Māori language and culture, as well as the multiple cultures that make up contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand. 

 The publication has been supported through the Auckland Diversity Project Fund (Creative New Zealand and Foundation North).

Publication Date: 12 September 2018  | ISBN: 978-0-947506-46-9 |  RRP $21.99

Paperback, 284 x 208 mm, 32 pages colour