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\nA wh\u0101nau reading Poppy and Buddy books, launched last year.
\nPhoto: supplied\n<\/p>\n
A new children’s book publisher has the goal to help raise one million bilingual tamariki over the next decade.<\/p>\n
The bilingual book range Poppy and Buddy wants to make te reo M\u0101ori a joyful experience for kiwi kids aged 1-6 years.<\/p>\n
“We’re proud to be part of a growing movement to normalise Te Reo in everyday life,” founder Jeff Brown said.<\/p>\n
“As a new publisher, we’re starting small, but thinking big. Our goal is to make te reo M\u0101ori a natural and fun part of children’s early years, in homes and childcare centres right across the motu.”<\/p>\n
Launched in 2024, the Auckland-based publisher’s debut series of books supports early literacy and language development through engaging stories in English and te reo M\u0101ori.<\/p>\n
Each book in the Poppy and Buddy series has a QR code that links directly to native-speaker audio, making it easier for parents and educators to read confidently in both languages.<\/p>\n
Poppy Panda and Buddy Bear can also tell the story in Mandarin, Spanish, and French.<\/p>\n
According to StatsNZ, there were 213,849 reo M\u0101ori speakers in 2023, up from 185,955 in 2018.<\/p>\n
Bilingualism has been shown to improve memory, attention, and problem-solving skills.<\/p>\n
“Language is a bridge to each other, to culture, and to opportunity. And bilingualism is one of the greatest gifts we can give our tamariki.”<\/p>\n
Brown is inviting families, teachers, and centres to join them on their mission.<\/p>\n
Jacqueline Harding, former Head Teacher at Arrowtown Preschool, said tamariki were “super engaged, tracking the pages, and sharing observations”.<\/p>\n