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Check out the latest books on Pacific culture, society and customs for kids and adults. This list updates when we add new titles to our collection.
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Book
In Tonga families come together to prepare a kaipola or feast to celebrate special occasions. It is their way of expressing love, pride and gratitude to others.
All around the countryside during the summer season in Fiji, mango trees are laden with fruit. Alot of people on islands sell mangoes as their source of income. There are over 400 hundred varieties of fruit all around the world. They grow best in tro...
Breadfruit originated in Papua New Guinea and was brought to the Pacific by voyaging Polynesians 3,000 years ago. Breadfruit trees grow on high islands and low atolls throughout the Pacific.
DVD
"For my father's kingdom follows Tongan pensioner Sala Mafile'O and his family as they are stretched to breaking point by the commitment and pasiion to god that has driven Saia's life. This debut feature documentary offers a rich view of how contempo...
Each Pacific island nation developed their own traditional dishes and they found ways of preserving food for the times when food was short. People in the Pacific cooked their food in pots on open fire or wrapped in leaves to bake in earthern ovens.
"James and Jessie are embarrassed by Uncle Tino’s old car and the way he honks the horn so loudly when he drives them to school. But when the Samoan culture group needs help to prepare for the end of year concert, it turns out that Uncle Tino is full...
Mama Rules was developed from two workshops where participants were encouraged to reflect and dialogue about their stories and experiences of leadership. It is a culmination of experiences, ideas and discussions with various Pacific women in Te Waipounamu...
Music CD
Picture book
"This singalong book has been written to help children begin to learn Samoan"--Title page verso.
A Children's book set in Fiji by Walt Smith. 'The Mysterious Shadow' is Book 1 in an illustrated underwater action adventure series about a group of characters that notice changes taking place on reef where they live. Simeon, their leader, thinks he knows...
"This is a biography of Sir Toke Tufukia Talagi and his life from a small island in the Pacific to a knight of the realm. It covers his life work and his experiences as a businessman and into politics and the premiership. He was a reluctant politician...
"Navigating journeys is a collection of poetry and prose written by local writers from Mana Māngere Writers Collective who have either lived, worked or have studied in the communities of Māngere or Otahuhu." --Back cover.
My Ocean Home Fiji is a beautiful children's book that tells the story of Tui and his Fijian friends, who explore the magical world under the sea.
"Tasi, a young boy growing up in the 1950's in American Samoa, finds an interesting shell while diving on a coral reef. This is the story of Tasi and his family—a peek into the rich culture and traditions of the Samoan people."--Publisher description...
This simple Tongan dictionary was created to help you connect with and understand the Tongan culture through learning some of the basics of the language. Using words and phrases will allow you to pick up on topics of conversations and even piece toge...
"In 1920, David O. McKay visited the Latter-day Saint missions, schools, and branches in the Pacific, solidifying the Church leadership's commitment to global outreach. The trip also later inspired McKay's initiatives when he was Church president. ...
Push, pull and turn mechanisms bring Doctor Dolittle and his menagerie of animals to life as he goes on an adventure to Africa. First Stories: Doctor Dolittle is the perfect introduction for young children to this popular tale.
Two brothers, Alama (Vito Vito) and Popo (Longi Taulafo) arrive for the first time in New Zealand as seasonal workers, making plenty of money to take back home to their family in Samoa. But things take a turn for the worst when Popo steals Alamas' mo...
"The first official book for PKB (Pasefika Kids in Books) written in the Samoan language! Using rhyme, relevance & reading to encourage the use of fa'asamoa in our children's lives."--Publisher description.
"My First Samoan People's Book is the fourth book of the My First Samoan Series. It is perfect for all toddlers and preschoolers of Samoan American descent. It has most of family members and careers in the Samoan and English language. Each page caref...
A retelling of Aesop's most iconic tales. A parade of captivating characters -- tricky foxes, talking trees and ferocious lions -- impart the universal wisdom of this master of the parable.
"Opposites in Tongan with English translations is an educational bilingual language learning resource to help children learn a Polynesian language. Children will learn concepts such as big and small, short and tall, hot and cold, clean and dirty, left...
"Tokelau heroes presents inspirational stories of achievers who have Tokelauan ancestry"--Back cover.
"A missionary family, a violent attack, and one woman's brave determination to break free from trauma. Jadie's story is one of forgiveness, hope, healing, and victory in Christ. When she was a young girl, Jadie (and her missionary family) experienced...
An urgent cry for help brings Poirot to France. He arrives too late to save his client, whose brutally stabbed body now lies face down in a shallow grave on a golf course. Poirot's investigation is turned upside down by the discovery of a second,...
Following a shipwreck a young naturalist finds himself on an island run by a mad scientist intent on creating a strain of beast men.
"In 1995, the Warriors invaded the Australian Rugby League premiership - the first overseas club to be admitted - in a blaze of publicity and hype the likes of which New Zealand sport had never seen. The Warriors have taken their fans on a wild rolle...
"Unpacking the five main Polynesian styles: Samoan, Marquesan, Tahitian, Hawaiian, Maori. Presenting over 400 symbols and their meanings. Fully illustrated with more than 550 images, with 15 original tattoos deconstructed and explained. This book explains...
"From Avaiki and across the vast Pacific Ocean, the Ariki led the people of the Pacific to new worlds aboard great ocean canoes. The people of modern day Cook Islands were a part of this great voyage. Te Maeva Nui Aotearoa NZ 2019 celebrates the lead...
Tiseniko goes for a ride along the shore in Tonga on a borrowed bike.
"A collection of tales of Pacifika women. Short stories that capture some of the drama, laughter, loves and sorrows in the lives of women of the Pacific. Each tale is unique, life enhancing and totally engrossing." --Back cover.
"The island historiographies presented here are new versions of chapters from our series "Essays on the history of the discovery and exploration of Tonga by the Europeans." They have been improved and enlarged - especially the paper on Niuafo'ou, the...
Provides the Niuean word for a particular colour; then uses the word in a sentence. Colours include red, orange, brown, green, blue, yellow, white, and purple.
Animals of Samoa.
First words for family members, common objects, and animals in Samoan and English.
First words for family members, common objects, and animals in Tongan and English.
Provides the Samoan word for a particular colour; then uses the word in a sentence. Colours include red, orange, brown, green, blue, yellow, white, and purple.
A Tongan language learning resource for pre-school and primary school students. Aimed primarily at children of Tongan descent whose first language is English.
"Widely respected Pacific scholar Janet Davidson details the collection of Māori, Pacific and Native American objects associated with Cook's three voyages of exploration in the Pacific between 1768 and 1779 held at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa.....
"I luga o auvai o le Vaitafe o Mississippi, ua sailia e Tom Sawyer ma ana uo le malaga i taimi uma. Ona tasi lea o le po i le tuugamau latou te molimauina se fasioti tagata. E faia e tama se tautoga o le toto e le fa'aalia ai le mealilo, ma latou sosola...
"A moving graphic memoir of growing up Pasifika in New Zealand... At school, Selina is ridiculed for her big, frizzy hair. Kids call her 'mophead'. She ties her hair up this way and that way and tries to fit in. Until one day - Sam Hunt plays a role,...
"Bryan Williams - Pacific Pioneer is the inspirational story of one of the first great Pasifikan All Blacks. Bryan beat his opponents with speed, sidestepping or sometimes just by running over the top of them! He inspired future generations of Pasifikan...
"Grace Brought Me Here gives you a vulnerable and raw insight into Lima's compelling journey of grace. Lima retells her story with a great deal of transparency, authenticity, and courage, revealing some of her darkest and most profoundly heart wrench...
Kaluti is a children’s book that talks about colorism in Fiji and take on a journey of empowerment and self-love. Written and self-published by activist and now author Shazia Usman, Kaluti tells the story of a 10-year-old Indo-Fijian girl living in ...
Shammi Kapoor offers advice for small countries for improving their communication, infrastructure, exports, tourism, economy, education and employment.
"Attuned to a world of natural signs-the stars, the winds, the curl of ocean swells-Polynesian explorers navigated for thousands of miles without charts or instruments. They sailed against prevailing winds and currents aboard powerful double canoes to...
Brown Boys is a comedic coming of age film about six Samoan men in South Auckland. Their world is changing and they must move past the stage of going out, drinking and womanising. This is a story of brotherhood, growing up and love. The Brown Boys spend...
Six Nights in May is the narrative of what began on Thursday, 14th May, 1987, in the Parliament of Fiji. It was at 10.10am that a colonel staged the first coup with ten masked gunmen. He was the third-ranked officer in the Fiji Royal Military Forces,...
Introduces twins who may look the same but don't always like the same things. Suggested level: junior.
Stories reflect on real life experiences with a mixture of fiction and real life situations.
"Divakar Rao's "Life on the run" is an enthralling account of his life as a student, teacher, educationist and a witty raconteur. His life has indeed been an adventure and his journey traverses several countries: including India, Fiji, England, New Z...
Kiribati is an island nation in the vast blue of the Pacific Ocean. Composed of thirty-two atolls and three groups of islands, Kiribati lies halfway between Hawaii and Australia. The largest and best-known of the many coral islands is Kiritimati, where...
"In writing about the lives of her parents, the author reveals the intermix of societal traditions and Christian teachings in Tonga. Legends, stories and family trees provide insights into the humanity and godliness, history and geography in this South...
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