He Pepeha Aroha nā Molly Turnbull i tuhituhi, i whakaahuatia. Whakatane, N.Z.: Maori Publications Committee, 1983.
In 1978, Rūatoki School in the Urewera became Aotearoa’s first official bilingual school. Tamariki would be taught te reo Māori for four years, two years at pre-school and two years for five to six year olds.
The Māori Publications Committee was established in Whakatane by Don Turnbull and John Hunia in 1980 to produce books to support the growing demand for resources for children in te reo Māori.
John Hunia was an advisor in Māori language and culture to schools in the Eastern Bay of Plenty and gathered stories from around the region to publish.
Molly Te Mare Tumoana Turnbull, Don’s wife, was active in establishing Te Wharekura o Ruatoki and had been teaching at the school since 1974. Molly illustrated He Pepeha Aroha, which tells the story of the North Island mountains.
Production costs of the books were kept low through grants and the support of the local Rural Education Activities Programme. Books were mailed to schools and individuals throughout New Zealand.
The first Kōhanga Reo were established in the early 1980s and by 1987 there were over 500 operating. Māori leaders and educators believed the way to regenerate the language was to involve elders who still spoke Māori fluently, to work with pre-school children. This resulted in more pressure to provide quality reading resources for children.
He Pepeha Aroha nā Molly Turnbull i tuhituhi, i whakaahuatia. Whakatane, N.Z.: Maori Publications Committee, 1983.
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