Ngāreta Mary Gabel (born 29 July 1975) is a New Zealand children's author and teacher, known for her te reo Māori (Māori language) children's picture book Tekiteora, kei hea o hu?, later published in English as Oh Hogwash, Sweet Pea!.

Ngāreta Gabel
Born (1975-07-29) 29 July 1975 (age 48)
Auckland, New Zealand
Alma materUniversity of Waikato (MA)
Occupations
  • Children's author
  • teacher

Life and career

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Gabel was born in Auckland on 29 July 1975. She has one daughter, and began writing in te reo Māori (the Māori language) to create stories for her daughter.[1] She has a Master of Arts degree in Maori with first-class honours from the University of Waikato, and a teaching diploma from the Wellington College of Education which she earned remotely while living in Northland.[2][3] She has worked as a teacher at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe.[1] She is part of the iwi (tribe) of Ngāti Kahu.[4]

Her children's picture book Tekiteora, kei hea o hu? was published by Huia Publishers in 2003, and won the Te Kura Pounamu Award from LIANZA.[4][2] It was translated into English by Hannah Rainforth as Oh Hogwash, Sweet Pea!.[4] Both editions were illustrated by Ali Teo and Astrid Jensen.[5] Gabel worked with Rainforth on the translation and ensuring that it reflected Gabel's northern iwi dialect, for example by using the term kūkupa for the kererū.[6]

The English title won the children's choice award and was a finalist for best picture book at the 2004 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.[4] It was listed as a 2004 Storylines Notable Book.[4] A review in The New Zealand Herald described it as a "delightful picture book" with a "distinctive New Zealand flavour".[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Interview with Ngāreta Gabel". Christchurch City Libraries. 2005. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Online flexibility perfect for teacher trainee author". The Sunday Star-Times. 25 January 2004. p. G8. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Primary goal for author". The Dominion Post. 11 November 2003. p. C12. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Ngareta Gabel". Read NZ Te Pou Muramura. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Ali Teo". Read NZ Te Pou Muramura. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  6. ^ Daly, Nicola (2022). "The power of picturebooks for language and identity". Set (2). The New Zealand Council for Educational Research. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  7. ^ Vinicombe, Dorothy (27 April 2004). "Ngareta Gabel, Ali Teo & Astid Jenson: Oh Hogwash, Sweet Pea!". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
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