Ako ‘a ‘Amanaki ‘i ‘api - ‘Amanaki Learns at Home
‘Amanaki Learns at Home is a story about two young Tongan brothers and the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown, which creates unfamiliar changes within their home.The story follows the boys as they navigate these uncertainties and learn to adjust to the changes around them.
About this resource
‘Amanaki Learns at Home is part of Te Oranga Mauri – Wellbeing Storybooks series.
The storybooks in this series are inspired by children’s real-life experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The series consists of five storybooks, written in different languages, with teacher support materials that align across multiple curricula: Te Whāriki: He Whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa, Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, and The 2007 New Zealand Curriculum. This adaptable curriculum content is relevant for ākonga from early childhood through year 4. There are also materials with story prompts and discussion tools for whānau to use at home.
Each story has also been digitised into animated videos with voiceovers and narration in the different languages, including New Zealand Sign Language.
Ako ‘a ‘Amanaki ‘i ‘api - ‘Amanaki Learns at Home
Words by Mafi and David Taumoepeau
Illustrations by Lincoln Moa
Written in English and lea faka Tonga
The brothers attend preschool together and live at home with Mum, Dad, and two of their uncles. The book is set in March 2020, in Aotearoa New Zealand, which is when the first nationwide lockdown is imposed. It means the boys are unable to see their grandparents or attend church, and 'Amanaki, who was looking forward to starting "big school", is now anxious about whether or not he will be able to learn. The story follows the boys as they navigate these uncertainties and learn to adjust to the changes around them.
Materials that come with this resource
- Ako A Amanaki I Api text (.pdf)
- Amanaki Learns at Home text (.pdf)
- Amanaki Learns at Home TSM (.pdf)
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