About the Author – Beatrice Piatarihi Tui Yates (Aunty Bea)
Born in Rotorua on 11 September 1939, a proud Te Arawa descendant, nurtured in Mourea beside the Ohau Channel. Beatrice (also known as Aunty Bea) is very proud of her Maori, Scottish, Irish and Fijian Indian ancestry.
In the 1970’s Beatrice was invited to become the first Māori itinerant teacher in the Rotorua region introducing te reo to the children of Rotorua. There were few resources for this new position but with the help of her year nine Māori studies students from Rotorua Lakes High School, she produced her own colourful literacy and numeracy Te Reo Māori resources. Her mission was to teach good, basic, simple and solid Te Reo Māori so as to encourage tamariki to enjoy learning their beautiful language. Aunty Bea acknowledges with aroha the tamariki, Kaiako, tumuaki, whānau and hoa for all their manaaki, tautoko and awhi. 2010 marks her 50th year in the teaching service. The Ihenga Charitable Trust was formed to publish and market her series of books which Aunty Bea has created.
Click here to view Beatrice Piatarihi Tui Yates’ CV
About the Illustrator – Katherine Quin Merewether
Born in the Waikato in 1982. Katherine has been living her dream and illustrating for publication since the age of 18. Kat owns and operates a successful boutique design business specialising in illustration. “Hoha te Taniwha” is Kat’s second project with Aunty Bea, with many more on the drawing board.
For more examples of Kat’s work, visit her website