This release of the te reo Māori edition of Time For Bed, Little Kiwi celebrates the 10th anniversary of the story, which has spent a decade on the bestsellers list.
In this Māori language edition of Bob Darroch's bestselling lift-the-flap bedtime story, it's time for Little Kiwi to go to bed. But where is he?
Māori language champion Stacey Morrison has translated the book into te reo Māori. For those learning te reo Māori, Morrison needs no introduction. She's one of our country's biggest champions of the language and has an impressive collection of book titles in her own name.
This translated edition of the popular and well-known children's book is a great stepping stone for those on the path to learning te reo Māori. Perhaps you know a few kupu and have their pronunciation down, but want a little more to challenge you. This is a great start.
It's a simple text with lots of repetition and simple sentence structures. It's also a great text for nailing down those prepositions, and some of our native plants.
Even if you haven't read the English version, but you have a simple grasp on te reo Māori, you'll understand the story, which also uses Darroch's original illustrations.
Of course, children will enjoy it too. For those that speak te reo Māori, it's a fun book with sturdy lift-the-flaps that compels children to be part of the story. We've had many great nights helping Māmā try and find out if Kiwi Pakupaku is in the ana or behind the waihīrere. For those tamariki that are learning te reo Māori, reading alongside together with both language editions can be a simple way to help ignite the spark. Of course, full immersion is best for learning, so don't underestimate your children by only reading the te reo Māori edition - you might be surprised by how much they already know!
It's wonderful to see more of our favourite books being translated into te reo Māori. It not only offers our children the opportunity to learn our language, but can help adults too. He Wā Moe Kiwi Pakupaku is a great picture book for all ages.
Reviewed by: Rebekah Lyell
Penguin Random House, RRP $15.99