During 2021, Nicolla Hemi-Morehouse entertained many with her YouTube Channel – Miss Nicky Says, and now has over 2 million views.

Her passion of sharing te reo Māori with children, shows in her brightly coloured and cheerful picture book Because I’m Māori – He Māori Ahau.

This picture book begins with four children waking up inside the kopa iti / matakopa (meeting house). They are stretching and happy, looking forward to a great day.

Outside they acknowledge where they are, their happiness to be there and the feeling of belonging that it brings them.

Hīkoi haere me te mea e hīteki ai

I walk around with a little kick in my step

Tē ware ai nō  hea ahau

I can’t forget where I am from

nō hea ahau

where I belong

Acknowledging their maunga (mountain), their (moana) ocean and their waka is part of them. As is their whanau (family), kapa haka and past. They know that with all these supporting aspects of their cultural identity, they can achieve anything they want to be.

Such a beautiful, positive, bilingual picture book for New Zealand children in te reo Māori and English.

Author – Nicolla Hemi-Morehouse

Illustrator – Story Hemi-Morehouse

Picture Book

Listen to the song here on You Tube here

(2024, Bateman Books, Tamariki, Cultural Pride, Culture, Identity, Belonging, Family, Te reo, Bilingual, Māori New Zealand, Aotearoa, Song, Self Confidence, Marae, Happy, Positive, Waka, Wharekai, Moana, Maunga, Music, Confidence, Cooperation, Security, Self Esteem)