Meet Waffles the cat in his new book Waffles Travels Aotearoa New Zealand. Some may know Waffles from his first adventure Waffle Goes to New Plymouth. The appeal was obvious from the start. You know you are on to a winner when, upon opening the pack with the book the six year old in the family commandeers it and scurries off to their room to devour it. Then to read it aloud to not one, but all members of the family - including the cat. It even stayed in bed overnight. As a relative newcomer to the published writing arena, Hayley Elliott-Kernot has a gift for matching great ideas with great language.
Waffles is a fun loving, bungy jumping, cave entering, and generally exploring ginger cat. As he travels the length of Aotearoa Waffles Travels Aotearoa New Zealand highlights all the major tourist events that are popular with kiwis and international tourists. From being surprised by the beach driving bus on 90 mile beach to the north, to the marble-like roundness of the Moeraki boulders in the South.
It’s a great introduction for young people to learn Māori place names with the te reo emboldened on each page along with the English. For example, Waffle explored Waitani. Waitangi is a very important place in New Zealand history. Waffle went to a special palace with a house. It was called a marae.
Elliott-Kernot also provides the illustrations for the story with attractive presentations of the popular tourist locations. One activity that seemed to captivate was to find Waffles on each page.
Waffles Travels Aotearoa New Zealand certainly has far reaching appeal and will generate great family conversations about where to go next on a New Zealand adventure, and also learn some te reo in the process.
Reviewer: Chris Reed
Round Door Designs