Environment & Sustainability

Our primary objective in developing the Our Backyard series is to nurture curiosity and a deeper connection to Aotearoa for children through an engagement with travel. Relatedly, desired outcomes include: a deeper sense of cultural connection to the environment for children; the ...stimulation of geo-literacy skills and eco-identity; the provision of an engaging and formative experience for children that establishes a foundation for future connection and attachment to Aotearoa; a resource for parents and families that supports them to strengthen cultural connectedness, identity-building and a sense of belonging for their children. Today's world for many children is increasingly confined to narrow physical spaces - the impersonal shopping mall, and the ubiquitous technological experience. There are ways in which we can nurture an alternative, deeper connection to the physical environment of Aotearoa through the engagement of children and their parents with travel. The place-based books present a new and innovative approach to children's story-telling that focuses on environmental connectedness, eco-identity and a sense of belonging for children. Raising questions through place-based stories helps develop geo-literacy strengths - What do I know about my country? What has happened in the past here? How does this relate to me? These questions strengthen curiosity and a sense of self in relationship to natural and social ecosystems, generating both attachment and respect. As new writers we bring a different knowledge base and experience to the project. An artist and writer of te reo Maori resources, Jenny has successfully adapted her skills to children's illustration. Marie brings extensive writing skills and expertise in children's development to children's storybook writing. As New Zealanders we have a curiosity about Aotearoa's bicultural history, and we are committed to advancing bicultural themes in the books we produce. Paradoxically, it has been the applying,
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Little ones can watch as a towering skyscraper is built on what was once a vacant lot in this beautifully illustrated picture book about trucks and construction from the acclaimed creator of Nest and Fetch. Full color.

It's summer in the '70s and an idea is hatched to go eel hunting on the Manawatu River. With home-made spears, under the cloak of darkness, the intrepid eelers set off. But everything does not go according to plan. The river is darker and deeper than expected, the eels are slippe...ry and determined not to be caught , and a gruesome discovery is made. Based on a true story. Includes factual notes about eels, and eel conservation.
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Inject some fun into STEAM topics with these lively books

Packed with absorbing facts and quirky illustrations, Cool Architecture tells you all you need to know about architecture around the world, from the simple dwellings created by the earliest humans to today's most innovative buildings, via forbidding medieval strongholds, great 18...th-century palaces and classic New York Art Deco skyscrapers.
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