Ko Flit, te Tirairaka te Rerenga i He product reviews

loved receiving this book and the bright blue cover page which really stood out and captured the eye. Such a beautiful cover picture and I was excited to open the book to see more. I was expecting to find the translation under the sentences so each sentence had it there but instead it did not have the English translation and the book provides a glossary at the back so you can search the words yourself. This took me a lot longer to read the book but however it was good learning for me and I enjoyed it.

I sat down with my 9 year old son and we went through the book slowly reading it and pronouncing the words and sounding out the words we were unsure of. I loved all the pictures and illustrations, it is captured so beautifully and well thought out. The bright colours and art work is right up there. I would think many children would be very happy with this book especially even if they do not speak or read Maori it is a great learning book. However they might not like the flicking back and forth between the pages and the glossary.

The price of the book is affordable and would make a cool birthday or Christmas present for a child. I would recommend the book to friends and the teachers.

It seems that there is a welcome shift among some of my family members and close friends towards becoming a completely bilingual household, which means that the children are proving to be increasingly confident at speaking both Te Reo and English. So it is rewarding to see more and more books coming on to the market which are aimed at Maori learners. In the past there has not been much available in terms of picture books and simple texts for little ones. This story is the latest to captivate some of the youngest children in my circle!

The book is an absolute delight. I took it for the twins and their little sister, Miss Two, but when I got there the twins were still at their kohanga reo so Miss Two and I had it to ourselves. She was very pleased about that because she got to see it first; we read it together with a few interruptions as we had to examine the pictures. These are just as engaging as those in the Kuwi the Kiwi series: the same bold colours and kid-friendly design ensure that the very youngest child can enjoy them. We did the sound effects too, pretending to be Ruru with her W-u-u-u-u-u as she flies back up into the tree, and echoing the "Ka taka!" as Flit falls down unexpectedly.

I appreciate the way that Ngaere Roberts' translation has preserved the fun style of the original version. It is a delicate task for a translator to ensure that the text is targeted to the same age group while staying as close as possible to the original. As with previous texts that Roberts has translated, this one is perfectly balanced between word choice and simplicity of style. Miss Two was easily able to follow the story and was happy that all the friends rallied in the end to sort Flit out. Although she is very young, she is able to grasp the idea of someone being in difficulty and needing help.

When the twins arrived back home, they went straight to their new book and were just as thrilled with the pictures as their little sister had been. Being older, they were better able to discuss the different bird characters and to talk about co-operation between friends. It appears that this will be a book that is well loved and enjoyed by all three of them; although the twins are not yet able to read, they are more than happy to settle down with the nearest adult and snuggle up to listen to the story over and over again.

As with other books that have been translated by Roberts, this one includes a comprehensive papakupu (glossary) for families who are still increasing their Maori vocabulary, or for teachers who are using the book with a class. This enables an adult who is still insecure in his or her command of Te Reo to take risks and share with confidence. I admit to having to look up two words myself that were unfamiliar, so it was great to have the answers included!