Finding Grace Kimihia a Grace

This book is a poetic exploration of a child’s natural environment, greatly enhanced by the beautiful sounds of both the te reo Māori and English text. The title works on many levels. A girl called Grace adventures outside and then returns “ready to be found” by her family. Also, she finds grace in the beauty and sensations of the earth, wind and water and the other creatures that share the space with her. This is a very reassuring read and would help anxious readers to feel more comfortable about their place in the world.

The illustrations add a dreamlike quality and are a perfect complement to the texts. The various tāonga found by Grace are referenced at the back of the book encouraging children to find them in the story. Further resources are available from the publisher’s website, such as: worksheets, a nature- play workshop and an audio recording of the te reo Māori text.