First fully bilingual Sharing our Stories book connects kids with local heritage and multiple cultures

The River in our Backyard 
Te Awa e Pātata Rawa Ana   

                       

Malcolm Paterson
Illustrated by Martin Bailey

You don’t need an overseas trip to encounter centuries of history and unique environments, as the Sharing Our Stories books reveal.

The River in our Backyard /Te Awa e Pātata Rawa Ana is the fourth in the series and the first to be fully bilingual in English and te reo, both written by Malcolm Paterson. 

It also includes Tamil language, and publishes just ahead of the Diwali festival.

Malcolm says he is delighted to offer a new book through which tamariki and their whānau can engage with their social, cultural and environmental heritage — and which can be a local curriculum resource for schools. 

"My Indian Malaysian wife and I have a lovely 'fruit salad' whānau and there are many others like us. I hope that they see themselves reflected in my books, which acknowledge different cultures in our communities."

The new story again follows cousins Tui and Jennifer and their whānau on a voyage of discovery, this time into the history and nature of Auckland’s Te Atatū Peninsula and nearby places within reach by sea and river.

The children learn local heritage, human development and impact, the environment and conservation, and get to join in Diwali celebrations.

All the adventures are brought to life in Martin Bailey’s vibrant artwork. A Teacher Resource PDF for the book is also available on our website.

The authors

Malcolm Paterson belongs to Ngāti Whātua iwi, for which he plays heritage, commercial and environmental roles. He is the author of the previous three  Sharing our Stories books. Malcolm  lives with his family in Te Atatū, Auckland. 

Martin Bailey is a well-known illustrator who has created dozens of  children’s books, including illustrations for The Taniwha in our Backyard. He also manages the publisher Black Chook Books. Martin lives in Muriwai.

Exploring historic sites on Te Atatu Peninsula, Auckland while working on The River in our Backyard/Te Awa e Pātata Rawa Ana. From left: author Malcom Paterson (pictured with his eldest son, Davin), illustrator Martin Bailey (centre) and publisher Peter Dowling

Publication Date: 17 October 2022 |  ISBN: 978-1-99-004219-5 |  RRP $22.99

Paperback, 284 x 208 mm portrait, 32 pages, colour 

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