New Nanny Mihi Book Shares Gardening Wisdom Ahead Of Matariki

Publishing ahead of Matariki, Nanny Mihi’s Harvest | Te Hauhake a Nanny Mihi is the perfect book to learn about growing a garden, harvesting, and sharing food — letting tamariki and whānau explore the significance of harvesting for the Māori New Year.

When her mokopuna arrive for the spring school holidays, Nanny Mihi enlists their help to plant seeds in her garden. As they return each season, the kids see their labours bear fruit, helping Nanny harvest, cook and preserve all the produce.

When a gardening disaster strikes, in Winter, the hard work they put in earlier means that there’s still enough kai for a soup that tastes like ‘Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter’. Author Melanie Drewery shares the values of growing our own food, informed by respect for the Maramataka (the Māori lunar calendar).

With this fourth book, the fast-growing Nanny Mihi series published by Oratia Books is becoming a perennial for Kiwi kids.

Like the previous story, Nanny Mihi’s Medicine/Ngā Rongoā a Nanny Mihi, this new release is fully bilingual, beautifully illustrated by West Auckland-based artist Suzanne Simpson and superbly translated by Rotoiti-based Kanapu Rangitauira.

A teacher resource for the book is available to assist with reading in class.

The authors

Melanie Drewery (Ngāti Māhanga) works as a potter and writer from her home in Māpua, Nelson. She is an established children’s writer with over 20 titles to her name, including Nanny Mihi and the Rainbow and Nanny Mihi and the Bellbird.

Suzanne Simpson is an artist who has illustrated numerous picture books and educational texts for children. She lives with her family in Titirangi, Auckland.

Kanapu Rangitauira (Te Arawa, Ngāti Porou, Te Whakatōhea) is a registered translator and teacher of te reo. He lives with his whānau in Rotoiti, Rotorua.

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