It’s the end of the day in Pikitea Street. Night has fallen and dinner is done, and now many children are getting ready for bed.

Nikau’s Kui is tucking her in and telling her all about Maui and how clever he was. Kui reminds Nikau to eat all of her lunch to make her brain healthy and strong just like Maui’s was.

Across the street, Aida is helping her grandmother to make injera which her family use with delicious curries and stews. But it’s late and time for bed. Aida’s grandmother promises to put some injera in her lunchbox for tomorrow.

Next door, Fetu doesn’t want to got to bed. Just like Nikau’s grandmother, Fetu’s grandmother has a story for him.

Down the street, Amanda, Rahul and Mei are climbing into bed. Their grandmothers are there for hugs and stories and promises of yummy food for school tomorrow.

All these grandmothers are not only cooking for their grandchildren, they are preparing for a special day of sharing food among The Grandmothers of Pikitea Street.

This picture book is not only bilingual (English/Māori), it shows many different families from multiple cultures, preparing for bedtime.

There are traditional stories, promises of treats in the next day’s lunchboxes and much love from their grandmothers. At the bottom of each page is the translation of grandmother in that home’s culture.

The reader visits Māori, Ethiopian, Samoan, NZ European, Indian and Chinese cultures as children go to bed all the way up Pikitea Street.

Another stand-out feature of this book is Nikki Slade Robinson’s illustrations not outlined in black as traditional drawings are, but white which brings even more light to this beautiful story of inclusivity and sharing in a street of Aotearoa.

School libraries need at least one copy for their shelves!

Author – Renisa Viraj Maki

Illustrator – Nikki Slade Robinson

Māori translation – Kanapu Rangitauira

Picture Book

(2022, Oratia Books, Family, Grandparents, Grandmothers, Bedtime, Love, Sharing, Food, Bilingual, Different Cultures, Myths, Legends, Stories, Cooking, Baking, Treats, Lunchboxes, Community get together, NZ, New Zealand, Aotearoa)