Holiday project impresses

Parents may urge bored kids to read more during school holidays, but Redwood mum Kaaterina Kerekere went a step further and encouraged her daughters to create their own books.

Tawa School pupils Tangiahua, 8, and Maia, 6, each produced a picture book last school holidays.

Tangiahua titled hers Six Maori Maidens, and Maia’s is called Look After Our Earth. Tangiahua described Maori goddesses and princesses, some common in mythology and others she created.

Maia also describes Maori gods in her book, which shows readers the consequences of being unkind to the environment – wrath from the gods.

‘‘They had nothing to do in the holidays and Maia said ‘can we do a book?’,’’ Mrs Kerekere said.

Kaaterina and her husband Tai work in art and design, and had the industry contacts to get the books professionally printed.

‘‘ We just try to encourage them to do what they want, to be happy,’’ she said.

The girls illustrated the books and wrote the words in English and Maori. Copies have been donated to the school library.

Their friends were impressed, Tangiahua said. ‘‘They wished that they could do their own books.’’

The girls dressed as characters from their books for Tawa School’s ‘‘dress as a book character’’ day and won first prize for their efforts. Tangiahua was transformed into a rainbow maiden for the day, while Maia dressed as earthquake god Ruaumoko.

Literary lasses: Redwood sisters Tangiahua, 8, and Maia, 6, Kerekere were encouraged by their mother, Kaaterina, to publish their own books, which have been a huge hit with their mates at Tawa School.