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The Castle In Our Backyard/ Te Pa Kaha Kei Tatou Iari by Malcolm Patterson with illustrations by Leah Mulgrew

This book, written in both English and Te Reo editions, invites young readers to explore the history of Auckland’s One Tree Hill/ Maungakiekie alongside two modern day characters.

Tui and his cousin Jennifer are too busy playing a video game to want to visit Maungakiekie until their Nanny tells them it has giants and fortresses, like their game. They travel into the past, learning about the Maori goddess of fire, the tribes that had a special affinity with the place, a Chinese gardener, Sir John Logan Campbell and the tourists of today.

It is an interesting and colourful look at the history of an important landmark that will be of particular relevance to young Aucklanders.

I particularly liked the way Maori words used in the English version were defined on the bottom of the pages they appeared on, rather than requiring readers to constantly flick through to a glossary at the back of the book. Also the back of the English version provides readers with information on how to pronounce Maori words in the dialect of the writer and even acknowledges that different tribes have their own dialects. Both provide useful information for teachers, while the Te Reo version even has a family tree of some of the Maori chiefs mentioned in the book.

RRP $19.99
Published by Libro International, an imprint of Oratia Media Ltd
 

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