Multicultural picture book with Kiwi Indian main character tells the importance of people's names

 

What’s in a Name?
He aha tō te Ingoa?

Renisa Viraj Maki

Illustrated by Isobel Joy Te-Aho White

Translated by Hona Black

Heart-warming story for children explains the importance of  understanding and pronouncing people’s names 

Kiwi-Indian author Renisa Viraj Maki’s newest book tells a gentle and beautiful story about the mana our names carry. 

In a school that reflects modern, multicultural Aotearoa New Zealand, pupils from diverse cultures have names that might seem difficult to say – a situation that many children encounter. 

Priyanka definitely is worried when she is tasked with reading out the students’ names at the end-of-year assembly. Wanting to pronounce them correctly, she goes around the school yard to find her classmates and learn about their names.

Knowing how important the names are to her friends and their whānau, she practises hard to pronounce Arihia, Xinze, Somachandra, Sean and Tausa’afia – will she be ready for the big day?

Colourfully illustrated by award-winning artist Isobel Joy Te Aho-White and translated by bestselling author Hona Black, this is a book to read and reread at home and in school.

This bilingual book is available from all good booksellers. A free Teacher Resource is available from the Oratia website.

The author

Renisa Viraj Maki is a Kiwi-Indian leadership consultant and artist who is a graduate in art history. She is dedicated to writing stories that reflect cultural diversity; her first book The Grandmothers of Pikitea Street was a Storylines Notable Book. She lives in Auckland. 

The illustrator

Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngāti Kahungunu, Kāi Tahu, UK, Denmark) has won many awards for her illustrations in children’s books. She lives in Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington.

The translator

Hona Black (Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Apanui, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) lectures on teaching for Māori-medium schools at Massey University and is the author of three popular books about te reo. 

Publication: 5 November 2024  |  ISBN: 978-1-99-004263-8 | RRP $22.99

Paperback, 270 x 210 mm portrait, 32 pages, colour

New team members add te Ao Māori and international perspectives to Oratia Books

Everyone at Oratia Books is pleased to welcome two outstanding new members to our multicultural team. 

Hirini Tane (Ngāti Kawa, Ngāti Rāhiri) joins on a part-time basis as Kaiārahi/Counsellor — to guide our work in Māori publishing, including te reo, tikanga and matauranga. 

 

Hirini’s whakapapa is to the marae of Oromahoe in the Bay of Islands where he grew up before attending the universities of Auckland and Otago.

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Hirini Tane

He holds a doctorate in Māori Studies from the University of Otago Te Whare Wānanga o Otākou, and has ongoing research interests in relationships of people, land and water.

 

Based in Ōtepoti/Dunedin, he is a principal of independent Māori research organisation Takarangi Research, and kaiwhakahaere/manager of the Māori Maps social enterprise. 

 

A fluent speaker of te reo Māori, Hirini will offer editorial support for our growing list of books in te reo and bilingual editions. 

 

Hirini and Oratia's publisher Peter Dowling have worked together for many years on the Māori Maps kaupapa, where Peter was kaihautū/executive director until recently.

 

Ella Fischer is building on her publishing career by taking the role of Assistant Editor on a freelance basis. Ella is assisting us with a range of editorial and marketing tasks. 

 

Originally from Tulln, Austria, Ella graduated with distinction in Comparative Literature from the University of Vienna before working in France and lecturing at Queen Mary University of London. 

 

Ella Fischer

In Aotearoa she has worked as a language teacher, writer and marketing/communications advisor, mostly in Auckland, and is currently the Publishing Partnerships Specialist at Auckland Council Libraries.

 

Ella is fluent in German and English, with intermediate proficiency in te reo Māori, French and Latin.

 

“He tino harikoa mātou ki te pōwhiri atu ki a Hirini rāua ko Ella i roto i te roopu Oratia,” said Peter Dowling. 

 

“Hirini’s guidance and knowledge will help ensure our books respect and properly represent Māori communities and develop new authors.” 

 

“Ella brings an impressive suite of communication and marketing skills to Oratia, along with great energy and international vision.”

 

Hirini and Ella are fulfilling Oratia duties around their other commitments and, like all our crew, working from home.

 

For further information, contact Peter Dowling, peter@oratia.co.nz 

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