Woodford House

21,166 pages read and 1,169 team points

Team members

Alice C

1,851 pts

(1,508 pages read)

Kowhai and the Giants

By Kate Parker

5 stars

An artistic favourite ! Beautiful light and shadow boxes make the illustrations . A fable for the environment , a call to action
Mother of the Nation : Whina Cooper and the long walk for justice

By David Hill

4 stars

Interesting NZ history read. A biography of Whina’s long life highlighting her service to community and Aotearoa. Did you know this great Hikoi took 29days! Notably written by David Hill, detailed enough to show a full life and simple enough for children audiences
Whenua: Māori Pūrākau of Aotearoa

By Isobel Joy Te Aho White

5 stars

It took two nights to read this long book of Aotearoas pūrākau. Late nights for my wee man, with too many interesting stories at bed time. NOW for a proper review. This book is a great fit for Years 7-10, especially in social studies, health, and Te Reo Māori classes. It shares Māori stories of shaping our lands. It's beautiful illustrations of native plants, animals, and important places, helps students connect to stories from different parts of Aotearoa. A very clever contents page showcases the stories connection to certain rohe. We read our way around the country, all grounded in a tour guide map of Te Waka-a-Maui and Te Ika-a-Maui. Māori language is used naturally throughout, supporting Māori students and families. Dialect shifts cleverly match the iwi variations for different stories and places. Although there’s no glossary, this helps normalise Te Reo for all readers. This title fills an important gap between early childhood books like Gossage’s In the Beginning and more advanced adult works such as Ihimaera’s Navigating the Stars. It’s a valuable, culturally rich addition for middle-grade readers and well worth adding to all school libraries.
Gleam

By Raven Kennedy

2 stars

Not going to continue with this series... It's dragging. The use of a cliff-hanger ending and action only in the last 50 pages for the third time is enough for me.
The light house princess

By Susan Wardell

2 stars

Next in my NZ picture book bedtime stories is A modern feminist and simple child’s fairytale. A girl who doesn’t need saving but instead saves the boy. The pictures are a feast to the eyes steeped very much in NZ by our distinct native creatures in background of every page . Beautiful soft pinks and teals, cut out feels almost collage . Very clever and lots to be seen and explored
Farewell, Anahera

By Vanessa Hayley-Owen

4 stars

There experience of a tangi told from the perspective of the spirit. Moving beautiful, bilingual read . Good introduction to the tangi and Maori perspectives of death for people new to New Zealand .
The ANZAC Puppy

By Peter Millett

3 stars

Loosely based on true events . A NZ soilder marches to war, by chance picking up a puppy, Freda, along the way. She becomes his best friend and hope through the long dark years of WW1. A bed time story with my little Boy Scout. Lots of good questions about world wars . Including when was the first ever war. I now know the first recorded was in human history was 4600 years ago.
The legend of the seven whales

By Mere Whaanga

4 stars

One of the oldest stories of Hawkes Bay/Wairoa, that tells of the shaping of the land and hills north of us here in Heretaunga . Seven whale brothers are cursed all because the youngest brother wouldn’t get out of bed . #bedtimestories #placebasedcurriculum
This is Where I Stand

By Phillipa Werry

5 stars

A reread of a favourite NZ picture book. A bedtime story for my little boy scout in the making. I am uncharacteristically patriotic about the ANZACs. Their stories, the war poetry and this dark period of NZ history have always stuck with me. This simple story is an exploration of time passing and those things that remain the same for a long-lost war hero, the memorial statue that could be in any park in New Zealand. As time moves on, he stands and watches and remembers. A powerful story, one even my seven-year-old could grasp. This soldier sacrificed his life, and we must remember. The pencil and acrylic ink sketches are timeless and capture the statue's stillness in a moving world. The use of autumn yellows, lined winds and leaves blowing across the page captures April in New Zealand perfectly. There is something sacred about the use of light, silhouette and shadow, and it elevates the story to a new height and importance.
The Dream Factory

By Steph Matuku

4 stars

Bedtime story for my 7-year-old son! Love Matuku's key message that dreams and imagination lead to greatness, happiness and innovation. A life without dreams, a community without imagination, becomes dark, dreary and lifeless existance . The illustrator Zak Ātea is new to me. His unique style is a mash-up of Māori imagery in a multicultural asian flare village, and this works!, There are hints of the maihi of marae above a busy street setting, the sail of a waka peaking above the town, a koro fern here , a kawakawa leaf there, ponamu and moko kauae juxtaposed with a vibrant asian ethnic feeling market place setting. There are hints of Chinese dragons, tigers roaming alongside the cheeky kereru who ties the story together and can be spotted on every page. This mash-up seems to speak to a multicultural New Zealand and is a feast of cultures and fantasy on every page. The colours support the theme with bright and vibrant streets transitioning to dark and deep blues as dreams disappear. Finally, the magical hot pink that brings the mystical and magical conclusion . 5 out 5- a great addition to any school library.
Glint

By Raven Kennedy

2 stars

Just interesting enough to keep listening . Much better than book 1 . Character driven not plot driven twisted fairy tale . Narrators voice was a bit grating, her male voices were unconvincing . Will try the ebook for book 3 instead.

21 - 0 - 1

Add pages read

Woodford House

21,166 pages read and 1,169 team points

Team members

Di M

Kmbrlyr

DanP

Mary S

Alice C

LisaS

Carissa Vaughan

JennyT

JPE

SueP

Rev

RebeccaF

Amy R

Anna Gilmour

LizzyC

JessHalas

Dushay

Annabel Flynn

Frodosmum

Brady

Jo 90

Alice C

Kowhai and the Giants

Mother of the Nation : Whina Cooper and the long walk for justice

Whenua: Māori Pūrākau of Aotearoa

Gleam

The light house princess

Farewell, Anahera

The ANZAC Puppy

The legend of the seven whales

This is Where I Stand

The Dream Factory

Glint

Woodford House

21,166 pages read and 1,169 team points

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