Katikati Lecturer Brings Te Reo to Life in New Picture Book

A University of Waikato lecturer who lives in Katikati with his whānau is helping children and families across Aotearoa deepen their connection with te reo Māori through a new bilingual picture book called Koro Wētā. Ngairo Eruera (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa) provided the te reo Māori translation for the book, which is written by bestselling author Heather Haylock and illustrated by Sarah Trolle. Published by Oratia Books, it is available in stores now.

The story follows a young girl whose beloved gumboots are taken over at night by a giant wētā. Her whānau affectionately name the insect 'Koro' and encourage her to find a way to live alongside him — a quest involving newspaper stuffing, smelly socks and eventually a more creative solution. A final page of wētā facts adds an educational dimension, while Trolle's warm illustrations bring humour to the unlikely friendship.

Ngairo is a pūkenga matua (senior lecturer) in te reo Māori at the University of Waikato and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa in Tauranga, and is a registered translator who has dedicated his career to language revitalisation. He recently began a PhD at the University of Waikato, which will explore ancestral trails and the cultural narratives of Māori whānau and their descendants. He says picture books like Koro Wētā are an important tool for bringing te reo into homes, classrooms and communities, strengthening intergenerational transmission so that more people see themselves reflected in the language.

Originally published in Katikati News (Sun Media).