Reviews

Nanny Mihi and the Bellbird by Tracy Duncan, Melanie Drewery

serendipitysbooks's review

4.0

Nanny Mihi and the Bellbird is a charming picture book that I read for the “Picture Book by a BIPOC Author” category of the Reading Women Challenge. It’s a new book in a series I can remember reading to my younger two when they were preschoolers. So it gave me a nice hit of nostalgia. And this one being about birds was obviously a bonus. Although the same illustrator was used the style is different and I think I prefer the earlier style. Thankfully other aspects of the series remain the same. Nanny and her mokopuna (grandchildren) have a close, warm and loving relationship filled with patience and gentle humour. She shares her love and knowledge of the natural world with them. Although written in English, some Maori words and phrases are seamlessly integrated into the text, helping to normalise the language for the next generation. This book provides translations, which I don’t recall in the earlier books. The books also provide a glimpse into a way of life that I recognise but that isn’t as common as it once was. All in all a delightful little book.