THE BOOK

Written by Stacey Mareroa-Roberts and illustrated by Travis Orams, Brooklyn Builds a Bridge is a future fantasy adventure for children aged 5-12 that draws on Māori culture and is inspired by real life experiences. It shows children that with imagination, they can find their inner awesomeness and share their great ideas and gifts with others.

Brooklyn Builds a Bridge brings awareness to local places and spaces within Tauranga Moana through a little girl’s eyes. It celebrates the rich local Māori culture and history within Tauranga Moana and uses visual stories to imagine and create a future that includes Matauranga Māori knowledge and traditions.

Brooklyn Builds a Bridge is created to be enjoyed with family or school peers and a QR code offers an extra multi-sensory magical experience so kids can look at the pictures or follow along to Stacey’s voice and explore the book themselves, even if they don’t know how to read all the words yet. It also includes personal practice and reflective wellbeing resources for young people to apply in their daily lives.

“I want to encourage young girls and boys to dream big, develop confidence and embrace the skills and gifts of various characters and people in the book to help them achieve their goals.”

Stacey Mareroa - Roberts

“It’s written for the readers of the future, knowing that books can inspire and change minds but also transform. By connecting our young people with our books and an author and character that is representative of them, we can help them see the world from a different viewpoint,”