Tamatea Toa

Would you like some free books with that bread and milk? During the COVID lockdown schools and libraries were closed and many of our young people lost access to books. I reached out to some of the Auckland Local Boards and other organisations to sponsor book packs – home libraries – so our youth would…

Today we launched my new children’s book Freestyle: the Israel Adesanya Story at City Kickboxing, Izzy’s home gym. This photo is with Izzy and Ant Sang the awesome illustrator. You can get a copy here: https://readingwarrior.com/product/freestylethe-israel-adesanya-story/ “I like the idea of having my story written for kids because I know how hard things were for…

He’s a blond pocket rocket! He’s like a magician with a box of tricks! He’s dazzling, lightning, electrifying! But he’s only 175 centimetres (5 feet 9 inches) tall and weighs just 78 kilograms. How does he do it? You’ll Be Right is the inspiring story of Damian McKenzie’s journey from the deep south of New Zealand…

Pretty amazed that Freestyle: the Israel Adesanya Story has made the shortlist of the 2023 NZ Children’s Book Awards in the non-fiction category. Never did I think I could reach this level but I’m grateful to have one of my books recognised this way. Not for the ego but because it means more people can…

Can’t wait to share this new pukapuka with you e te whānau. A celebration of the streets of Mt Wellington written and narrated by talented young writers from Bailey Road School.

Kinaua Ewels is a Kiribati-Kiwi primary school teacher who shared an amazing story about her grandfather, Konererio, with me. He was a ‘Coastwatcher’ during World War II and saved many people’s lives because of his bravery. Kinaua asked if we could work together to make a children’s book based on that story and here it…