Books Published in April - June 2024

All of these books were written or illustrated by Pacific Islander creators. Check them out! Children's Books Picture Books

• Aloha Everything by Kaylin Melia George (Native Hawaiian), illustrated by Mae Waite.

• Tala learns to Siva by Kealani Netane (Kanaka Maoli).

• Ariā me te Atua o te Kūmara by Witi Ihimaera (Māori) and illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho White (Māori, Ngati Kahungunu, Ngai Tahu). 

• Alofa Tele Atu by Dahlia Malaeulu (Sāmoan), illustrated by Evelina Simi. 

• Our flag, our story, by Bernard Namok Jnr (Torres Strait Islander) and Thomas Mayo (Kaurareg Aboriginal and Kalkalgal, Erubamle Torres Strait Islander), illustrated by Tori-Jay Mordey (Torres Strait Islander).

• Hineraukatauri me Te Ara Pūoro, by Elizabeth Gray (Ngāti Rēhia, Ngāti Uepōhatu, Tama Ūpoko ki te awa o Wanganui, Ngāti Tūwharetoa), illustrated by Rehua Wilson (Ngati Haua).

• Mataaliʻi by Dahlia Malaeulu (Sāmoan), Darcy Solia, and Liz Tui Morris.

• Tåsi, Tåno, and Pulan by Steven Lefever (CHamoru) and illustrated by Constance Sartor.

• My Little Tongan: Mapeli’s Island Adventures by Mokiana Kamisese (Tongan) and illustrated by Kristina Garcia.

• Kai Stars of Matariki: Tupuanuku and Tupuarangi, by Miriama Kamo (Ngai Tahu/Ngati Mutunga), illustrated by Zak Waipara (Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Ruapani, Ngāti Kahungunu).

• Nanny Mihi’s Harvest/ Te Hauhake a Nanny Mihi (English-Māori bilingual edition), by Melanie Drewery, illustrated by Suzanne Simpson, and translated by Kanapu Rangitauira (Ngāti Porou, Te Arawa, Te Whakatōhea).

• Ngā Kupenga a Nanny Rina, by Qiane Matata-Sipu  (Te Waiohua ki Te Ahiwaru me Te Ākitai, Waikato, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Pikiao, Cook Islands), illustrated by  Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngati Kahungunu, Ngai Tahu).

• Because I’m Māori, by Nicolla Hemi-Moorehouse (Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Toa), illustrated by Story Hemi-Moorehouse (Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Toa Rangatira).

• The Pasifika Superheroes series by David Riley, illustrated by Chad Robertson (Niuean/Samoan). The series includes:

  • Vaea the Gentle Giant/ O Vaea le Sau’ai Agamālū Tonga’s Shooting Star/ Koe Fetu’ufuka ‘o Tonga

  • Tattoo Twins/ Le Masaga o Tatau

  • Sina and the Honeyeater/ O Sina ma le Segasegāmau’u My Own Paradise/ O Lo’u Lava Parataiso

  • King Kava/ Tupu o ‘Ava.

Middle Grade Books

• Brave Kāhu and The Pōrangi Magpie by Shelley Burne-Field (Sāmoan, Māori).

• Lei and the Invisible Island by Malia Maunakea (Kanaka Maoli).

• Clairboyance by Kristiana Kahakauwila (Native Hawaiian).

Junior Fiction

• Pipi and Pou and the Waves of Destruction by Tim Tipene ​​(Ngāpuhi), illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngati Kahungunu, Ngai Tahu). 

• Pipi and Pou and the Fire Woman by Tim Tipene, illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White.

• Ariā and the Kūmara God/A Ariā me te Atua o te Kūmara by Witi Ihimaera (Ngāi Tūhoe, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Porou and Whakatōhea), illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White.
  

YA Books

• Dragonfruit, a YA fantasy by Makiia Lucier (CHamoru).

• Migration, a science-fiction/fantasy novel by Steph Matuku (Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Tama, Te Atiawa).

Children's Non-Fiction

• Piki te Ora: Your Wellbeing Journal, by Hira Nathan (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Ngā Puhi) & Jessie Eyre, illustrated by Huriana Kopeke Te-Aho (Tūhoe, Ngāti Porou, Rongowhaata, Te āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Kahungunu, Fale'ula).

• My Matariki Colouring & Activity Book by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngati Kahungunu, Ngai Tahu).

Poetry

• Katūīvei, an anthology of poetry edited by David Eggleton (Rotuman, Tongan) Vaughan Rapatahana (Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Te Whiti) & Mere Taito (Rotuman). 

• Manuali’i, a poetry collection by Rex Letoa Paget (Samoan).

• Rangikura by Tayi Tibble (Māori).

• Tidelines, by Kiri Piahana-Wong (Ngāti Ranginui). 

• Hopurangi/Songcatcher by Robert Sullivan (Ngāpuhi, Kāi Tahu).

General Fiction

• Return to Blood, the second novel in the Hana Westerman crime series by award-winning author Michael Bennett (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue).

• Sand, Sequins, and Silicone by Pia Mia (Chamorro).

General Non-Fiction & Anthologies

• Carissa Moore: Hawaii Gold: A Celebration of Surfing, by Carissa Moore (Hawaiian), with a foreword by Tom Pohaku Stone (Hawaiian), edited by Don Vu. 

• Growing up Torres Strait Islander, an anthology edited by Samantha Faulkner (Torres Strait Islander). 

• Hine Toa, a memoir by Ngahuia te Awekotuku (Te Arawa, Tuhoe, Ngapuhi, Waikato).

• An Ocean of Wonder, an anthology edited by ku’ualoha ho’omanawanui (Kanaka ʻŌiwi), Joyce Pualani Warren (Kanaka Maoli) & Cristina Bacchilega.

• Everything That Moves, Moves Through Another, edited by Jennifer Cheuk. An anthology of essays, comics, photography, poetry and multimedia art with mixed-heritage creators of Aotearoa, including Damien Levi (Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi), Evelina Lolesi (Sāmoan), Emele Ugavule (Tokelauan, Fijian), Ruby Rae Lupe Ah-Wai Macomber (Taveuni, Rotuman, Ngāpuhi), Dr. Meri Haami (Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Rangi, Ngā Rauru Kītahi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa).

Note: The ethnicities stated on this blog post were from internet sources where the creators self-identified. Only Pacific Islander ethnicities were included.