The program "Experience with books: How was a book born? - Explore culture through literary works" conducted by the Embassy of New Zealand in collaboration with the Everest Education System and TimES attracted the attention of 300 students in Hanoi.
According to Ms. Caroline Beresford - New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam, the program hopes to inspire culture and knowledge for children. In particular, the exchange and reading section "Story about Maui and the Maori idols" by author and artist Peter Gossage introduced to young readers the cultural identity of the Maori people - the soul of New Zealand culture.
The book "Story of Maui and Chinese legends" is one of the New Zealand children's bedside books. In New Zealand, children grow up with these mythological stories and they have profound meaning, helping New Zealand children feel the connection to the land where they were born, to the sea, sky, nature and the culture of the nation.
"I hope that Vietnamese children will also love these stories, and thereby, arouse their curiosity and desire to learn more about other cultures in the world.
I believe that if I can nurture that curiosity and a spirit of learning, who knows, in the future, some children will become Vietnamese Ambassadors in other countries" - Ms. Caroline Beresford said.
Not only stopping at the exchange section, the program also takes students on a journey to learn "how a book was born" - from ideas, content writing, illustration, editing to publishing. Children transformed into "child creators", drawing illustrations by hand, thinking of story names and composing their own short stories.
That creative inspiration was nurtured in the book that the program introduced - "Story of Maui and the Japanese legends". Each page of the book is a telling picture, where readers witness the intelligent, bold and resourceful Maui doing extraordinary miracles: slowing down the path of the Sun, fishing to the North Island from the bottom of the sea, or finding the secret of fire.
The author of this book is Peter Gossage - New Zealand's leading storyteller and illustrator, who has devoted his life to reviving Japanese legends through his drawings and narration. In more than 30 years of writing, he has published more than 20 works, loved not only by children but also by adults in New Zealand.
What makes the book special is the iconic illustration. Strong colors, decisive lines and traditional Maori motifs make each page of the book a vivid cultural picture.
Reading "Tuyen ve Maui va nhung nguoi dan" is not only about reading stories, but also enjoying the art of storytelling through images, where words and words are together.
