The Big Boil-Up

'The Big Boil-Up' follows a mother as she shares a tale of tradition, whānau and shared kai with her daughter. This family, like many others, have shared recipes for generations but never written them. The ingredients have a history and aroha that have come from the land and waters of their own environment. Watercress and Nanny’s pūhā, to Koro’s kūmara and potatoes, everyone has their own special twist. All the ingredients gathered up are added to the special pot, and don’t forget the doughboys. When it is all cooked the whānau arrive, because the boil up is made to be shared.

The delightful illustrations by Zak Ātea provide movement and colour to complement the text; the swooshes and swirls within the different elements seem to symbolise the gentle threads of weaving tales through the generations. This would be a lovely book to share with a class and generate conversation around family traditions.