My Children’s Storybooks - the Our Backyard South Island Series
My Children’s Storybooks - the Our Backyard South Island Series
In 2020, when The Covid-19 lockdown stopped tourists coming to Aotearoa and our Prime Minister encouraged us to ‘see our own backyard’, illustrator Jenny Lee and I thought it was the perfect time to get out and see some of the special places we have on our doorstep. The result has been the development of our South Island place-based travel stories for children. It seems that the lives of many kiwi kids are increasingly confined to narrow spaces - the shopping mall, and the all-powerful internet. But we know there are alternatives. In our books we aim engage children in travelling adventures that will create deeper connections to Aotearoa and the beautiful places we have access to. Developing a sense of place is important to a child’s sense of belonging and identity. Through our books we want to nurture a sense of adventure and an early connection to Aotearoa - a connection to Our Backyard for all kiwi kids, no matter where they may live. Our six-book South Island series takes Ella and Tai on a set of special adventures where they see beaches, bush, wildlife and some of the wonderful geological features that Aotearoa is world famous for.
The Our Backyard books cost $20 each. If you would like to buy one, drop me a line at fantailprint@icloud.com
Ella goes to Akaroa is a destination story, in which Ella goes on holiday to Akaroa to visit her grandparents. She experiences all kinds of special things, including her first taste of her grandma’s world famous pancakes for breakfast. When she gets back to Christchurch and finds that porridge is back on the menu she’s not happy!
Ella goes to Punakaiki is a story about Ella’s trip across the Alps to see the famous West Coast Pancake Rocks. Along the way, Ella comes across balloons, castles, and moa birds. When she sees giants at Punakaiki her mum wonders what she is thinking!
Ella & Tai go to Rakiura Stewart Island - Rakiura is one of Aotearoa’s most beautiful places to visit. This time, Ella and her cousin Tai take a visit to their uncle and auntie’s place on the island, where they go on adventures to see beaches, bush and birds. They search and search for a kiwi, and then, just when they had almost given up, they find a surprise much closer to home than they ever thought possible.
Ella & Tai’s BIG trip South There are some wonderful places to visit in the South Island. This time Ella and Tai go down South on an adventure with their grandparents. They find there are lots of BIG things to see. Their Grandpa plays a trick on them, but Ella and Tai have a trick of their own.
Ella & Tai see Golden Bay - Golden Bay is one of the most beautiful parts of the South Island, and this time Ella and Tai go camping with their grandparents at Pohara Beach. After they pitch their tent, Grandma tells them a story of a taniwha. Little does she know they have a surprise for her - the tanawha is closer to home than she thinks!
Ella, Tai & the train to Picton Trains are always great fun, and in this book Ella and Tai go on a train trip with their grandparents to Picton. They climb aboard the Coastal Pacific at the Christchurch railway station, and soon they are on their way to the Kaikōura coast. Grandma has brought a word game which keeps Ella and Tai guessing, and by the time they reach Picton they have made a very special word.