South Auckland author calls out lack of Pacific children's books

An Auckland children's author says there's still a huge lack of books for Pacific young people, even as a new bilingual book is released ahead of Sāmoan Language Week.

South Auckland-based children's author and educator David Riley welcomed Auckland Council Libraries' launch of Sauniga o le 'Ava Sāmoa: The 'Ava Ceremony of Sāmoa.

However, Riley said there's still a huge lack in content for Pacific young people.

"Any time new work comes, and especially for libraries to invest in it, that's awesome."

Riley said Pacific children are more likely to engage with reading when they can see their languages, cultures and experiences reflected in books.

"I don't think the problem is that kids don't want to read. I think the problem is lack of reading material. We need more."

Children’s author and educator David Riley says Pacific children need more books that reflect their languages, cultures and experiences. Photo/Auckland Council

The new picture book introduces children to the traditional Sāmoan 'ava ceremony, a key cultural practice within fa'asāmoa.

Written by educator Tauanu'u Perenise Tapu Sitagata and illustrated by Māori artist Ani Huia Ligaliga, the book has been released ahead of Sāmoan Language Week.

Catherine Leonard, Auckland Council's Head of Library and Learning Services, said the new book is part of Auckland Libraries' wider publishing programme, which was established after staff identified shortages in Pacific content across multiple age groups, languages and formats.

Author Tauanu'u Perenise Tapu Sitagata wrote Sauniga o le 'Ava Samoa: The 'Ava Ceremony of Samoa, released ahead of Sāmoan Language Week. Photo/PMN News Candice Ama

"When the programme was established, we were particularly aware of a lack of suitable Pasifika children's resources, with a lack of variety and quality of content available," she said.

"Material in the smaller Pasifika languages was also challenging to find."

Leonard said the issue became particularly evident during the Covid-19 lockdowns, when customers wanted Pacific resources online, highlighting shortages in eBooks, eAudiobooks and other digital content.

She said demand for Pacific resources remains strong across Auckland's library network and is not limited to South Auckland branches.

"Children's books are the most popular part of the collection, and we see particular demand during language week celebrations,” she said.

"It is always challenging to find enough language-specific materials to promote our Pacific language weeks."

Hamilton-based Māori artist Ani Huia Ligaliga illustrated Sauniga o le 'Ava Samoa: The 'Ava Ceremony of Samoa. Photo/Supplied

Leonard said Auckland Libraries' decision to move further into publishing was driven by the limited availability of Pacific books through commercial publishers.

"Our Pacific Collection specialists, who have responsibility for purchasing Pacific content, report ongoing limitations in supply, format availability, and broader publishing constraints around Pacific material."

She said the primary challenge is less about funding and more about the availability of quality Pacific language content.

To determine what gets published, Auckland Libraries analyses collection gaps, surveys staff across its 57 branches, consults Pasifika specialists and reviews publishing trends to identify which communities and stories are underrepresented.

Leonard said smaller Pacific language groups remain among the most underrepresented because language-specific resources are often difficult to source.

One of Auckland Libraries' upcoming children's book projects is expected to help address that gap.

The publishing programme was formally established in 2020 and has produced a range of bilingual children's books and adult publications aimed at amplifying Pasifika voices, preserving local stories and ensuring the collections better reflect the city's diverse communities.

Leonard said the new title builds on earlier Sāmoan publications released through the programme, including Alagā'upu Fa'asāmoa ma Uiga mo Tamaiti: Sāmoan Proverbs for Children and Tinā, ua mātou fia'a'ai!

Riley welcomed Auckland Council's investment in Pacific storytelling and said libraries remain one of the few free spaces where children and families can access books and learning opportunities.

"When children can see that things that are important to them, and their backgrounds and histories and interests are recorded in books, that adds a little bit of mana to those things as well."

Sauniga o le 'Ava Sāmoa: The 'Ava Ceremony of Sāmoa is available through Auckland Libraries in print and eBook formats and can also be purchased through bookstores.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.