It's mid-December. That means there's only a few more days before school breaks up, and Kiwi families start getting together to celebrate the holidays and ring in the New Year. Whether you spend Christmas holidays camping out in the bush or at the beach, meeting up with the whānau at the bach, or just hanging out at home playing backyard cricket or basketball, there are some things that just scream 'Kiwi summer holidays!'
Heading over to the West Coast? Watch out for the tricky kea - they might try and attack your car! Going to stay at the bach in the country? Remember to check for daddy long legs in the outhouse! Taking the whānau to the beach for a picnic? Those seagulls will try and snatch your kai, so keep a good eye on your picnic basket!
It is these Kiwi classics that Peter Millett and Scott Tulloch draw on in their new book, More Classic Rhymes for Kiwi Kids, opens a new window (Bateman Publishing) where well-known rhymes like 'I'm a little teapot', 'Old McDonald had a farm', and 'Wee Willie Winky' get given a Kiwi twist. There are sheep, kiwi, and huhu grubs galore in this book, and because the pictures show typical everyday scenes, they are a great starting point for talking to children about family holidays you have taken together, sports you used to play when you were little, and about that squiggly, squirmy huhu grub you ate that one time when you were camping.
If you have whānau members coming from overseas, borrowing More Classic Rhymes for Kiwi Kids, opens a new window will introduce them to a side of New Zealand they might not get a chance to see. If you live here in Aotearoa New Zealand, it is a fun book to read and see characters just like you - playing rugby, mountain biking, and camping in the rain.
This book has something for everyone, and make sure to check out Classic Rhymes for Kiwi Kids, opens a new window for even more Kiwi nursery rhymes.
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