Leading Children’s Author Pens Innovative Book That Will Inspire Reluctant Readers In English And Te Reo Māori

Setting out to attract the sort of reluctant reader he used to be, author and youth counsellor Tim Tipene happened upon a neat idea: a book that takes over and effectively reads itself!

In The Book that Wouldn’t Read — and the Māori edition Te Pukapuka ka Kore e Pānuihia — a boy who doesn’t like reading just has to investigate when he finds that book on the library shelf.

Sentences move around the page, words change colour and disappear, and crazy fonts and characters get him jumping around, even burping (despite being hushed by teacher and classmates).

Illustrator Nicoletta Benella opens up the worlds that come alive when you get into a book, with layout designed to appeal to reluctant or dyslexic readers.

The books publishes in English (hardback) and Māori (paperback) editions just ahead of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori| Māori Language Week. A teacher resource is available on the Oratia website.

THE AUTHORS

Tim Tipene (Ngāti Kurī, Ngāti Whātua) is a pioneering youth counsellor and the award-winning author of over 18 children’s books, including Kura Toa Warrior School and Rona Moon. Tim lives in Rānui, West Auckland. Nicoletta Benella is an illustrator, graphic designer and artisan originally from north-eastern Italy, where she worked as a designer for the fashion house Benetton. She lives with her family in Hatfields Beach, Auckland. Kanapu Rangitauira (Te Arawa, Ngāti Porou, Te Whakatōhea) is a registered translator and teacher of te reo Māori who has translated a number of works for Oratia Books, He lives with his family in Rotoiti, Rotorua.

The Book that Wouldn’t Read, ISBN: 978-1-99-004231-7, $25.99, HB

Te Pukapuka ka Kore e Pānuihia, ISBN: 978-1-99-004247-8, $22.99, PB

Published by Oratia Books

www.oratia.co.nz

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