Pukapuka product reviews

Pukapuka is probably one of the most compelling books the children have ever seen. Not just Miss Five and Mr Two but their whole family welcomed it. Usually there will be one or two reservations when a new book is first received, but this time there was not a single negative comment. They loved the colourful graphics, the clear script, and the conversational style which made the children feel they were part of the trip to the library. At the start of the book, when one child asks "Ka pai, engari he ngahau? Okay, but will it be fun?", Mr Two immediately piped up with "YES, it will be fun!" From the start, he was fully engaged, which made him loath to put the book down at all!

The book cover features a sparkly elongated silver burst enclosing the black and white book title, Pukapuka. The sparkles comprising the burst stand proud of the flat lettering - a tactile treat for the children who enjoyed tracing the surface. There are also sparkly effects on the end pages and the sun on the "quiet" page to the left of the peephole.

Although the children are part of a household that values books and encourages them to read on their own, a library is not something they are familiar with. After reading through to the end, they were prompted to plan a visit to their own library to see if it might be as exciting as the story might suggest. Their mother had always thought of a library as a place where you could go to borrow books, but Pukapuka made it clear that modern libraries are so much more. Going to check out the local library in real life promises to be an exciting trip for all of them.

There is a growing number of bilingual books appearing on bookshelves in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is rewarding for both children and their families to read books like this as they empower people wherever they may be on their learning journey, whether they are Maori or Pakeha or, as do many of us, identify as both. It is part of our country's cultural heritage that our biggest taonga, our reo, is accessible to everyone. Having Maori and English appear together on the page means that it does not matter how many words you know, or how few, the answer is right there. The inclusion of two Pasifika greetings, Samoan (Talofa) and Tongan (Malo e Lelei), further sets the scene for a country that should not be monolingual.

The last pages are linked by a physical peep hole which separates the children reading in a traditional quiet environment from the same children in a secret garden populated with trees and flowers and other people. It is a tangible example of the way people choose to read in a personalised environment while acknowledging that not everyone enjoys books in the same way. I almost wish I had been able to give the children one book each so they could have their own copy!