August 09, 2016
Graceful words for haka award
More accolades for Patricia Grace as her recounting of the story behind Te Rauparaha’s haka Ka Mate takes the best Maori-language award at this year’s Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.
The non-fiction and best book categories were won by Anzac Heroes by Maria Gill, illustrated by Marco Ivancic.
The junior fiction prize went to Kate De Goldi for From the Cutting Room of Barney Kettle.
Patricia Grace says the haka is known not just in New Zealand but around them world, and she thought children would appreciate finding out about its history,
Both Whiti Te Ra and the English version Haka are doing well in the market, which is a credit to Huia Publishers.
"They’ve got a really good in-house translator and of course all the infrastructure other publishers don't have when it comes to publishing books in Maori and books by Maori and they do a wonderful job of supporting their authors and illustrators and translators as well," Mrs Grace says.
In the Children's Choice awards, decided by votes from children, the best Maori language book was Kete Merewether's Te Hua Tutahi a Huwi.
Copyright © 2016, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com