A non-Maori author from Hamilton has been honoured at the
Maori Language Awards for her Te Reo Singalong series of children’s picture
books. Sharon Holt, author and publisher of the books, won the Print category
in the awards, which are held annually by the Maori Language Commission to
recognise the efforts of those who work to keep te reo Maori alive.
She was surprised but very happy to win, less than two years
after publishing the first two books in the series. Sharon has now published
five Te Reo Singalong books, with another three planned for next year. Her
latest book, a Christmas countdown in te reo Maori, asks and answers the age
old question – how many sleeps until Santa comes?
In her acceptance speech at the awards, held at Gisborne’s
Event Centre on Friday night, Sharon thanked the commission for recognising her
efforts to help teachers in mainstream education to bring te reo Maori to all
the children of New Zealand. She also acknowledged the rest of her Waikato
based team - children’s book illustrator Deborah Hinde and singers Graeme
Stewart and Stacy Walker. She also thanked her husband Alan for supporting her
dream to make te reo Maori more accessible to teachers and children.
As a non-Maori who took her first steps in te reo in 2002 at
Te Wananga o Aotearoa in Te Awamutu, Sharon is thrilled that her vision to
create a series of singalong books is now a reality in hundreds of preschools
and schools throughout New Zealand. “I wanted to help teachers to grow in
confidence and use easy sentence structures in an enjoyable and interactive
way,” she says. “The positive feedback I get from teachers every week shows
that these books really work, so it’s a wonderful bonus to have the recognition
of this award as well.”
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