Pomare School children to become published illustrators

Children from decile one Pomare School in Lower Hutt will soon see their illustrations published in a fairy tale written by actress Geraldine Brophy.

The idea for a book came from a play of the same name written by Ms Brophy which was staged in Lower Hutt for many students from low decile schools.

Charity dare2discover, which partners with low decile schools in The Hutt Valley to provide fun and educational experiences for children, covered the cost of schools’ transport to the play, and trustee Sue Avison thought the play would make a delightful book.

“After seeing the show and the delight on the children’s faces, I had a chat with Geraldine and we decided that the story would make a great children’s book. We also felt it was a wonderful opportunity to involve some students with the illustrations. dare2discover has worked with Pomare School in the past so we took this idea to the principal Katrina Day.”

Day was delighted that Pomare school was being given an opportunity to showcase their school to the community and to demonstrate that a small school in the northern end of Taita could be involved.

“For a little school, being part of this project has great mana. It fits our values of perseverance, responsibility, integrity, diversity and empathy. The children are getting an opportunity to learn about the environmental impact rubbish carelessly tossed away can have — in a fun engaging way. They get to learn art skills that the art curriculum doesn’t offer and they get to be part of something that is bigger than themselves. We can show the community that Pomare School, though small in numbers, is big in heart.”

Dr Hannah McKenzie Doornebosch has tutored the students over the course of two terms. With only a couple of lessons to go, the children’s work will be done and Ms Doornebosch will be preparing their artwork for the book.

The story is set in Taita and is full of characters such as Prince Farming, Red Finding Hood, the Who Cares and the Human Bean. The book is funny and thought-provoking, with a clear message about what can happen if we don’t take care of our environment, and is expected to be published before Christmas.