Join us for a morning of storytelling and making that is sure to engage and delight children, parents, and caregivers alike. City Gallery Wellington is excited to work with Verb Readers and Writers Festival and their friends to offer experiences and activities for families on Sunday 6 November.
Check out the full schedule of family events on the Verb Festival website here, and explore the wider programme while there.
Ngā Ngeru · The Cats of Paia Street with Amiria Stirling
10am | duration: 30mins
What mischievous adventures are cats Brucie, Morihana, Tiwha, Patariki and Naki devising? And what is that cat-crazy dog Wuruhi up to? Join writer Amiria Stirling for storytime with her books Ngā Ngeru / The Cats of Paia Street (HUIA Publishers) in both Te Reo Māori and English. Suitable for ages 3+.
My Cat Can See Ghosts
11am | duration: 30mins
What on earth is going on with that cat? Can your pet see things that you can’t? Find out just exactly what cats are capable of with author Emily Joe and German translator Jana Grohnert reading the spookily fun My Cat Can See Ghosts (Beatnik Publishing) in English and German. Suitable for ages 3+.
How to Hook a Reluctant Reader (*for parents & caregivers)
12pm | duration: 45mins
What can we offer reluctant readers? How can parents and caregivers support a lifelong interest in books and reading for pleasure? Join co-editors of Annual Ink, Kate De Goldi and Susan Paris, with Verb's Founder Claire Mabey, for a discussion about the breadth of literary opportunity for young readers. They will share examples of different kinds of literary forms, from comics, to essays, to short stories and novels. Come with your questions. Spot prize giveaways to take home to your young readers, too.
Free Kid to Good Home
12pm | duration: 45mins
Parents, take a seat while your kids settle in for Free Kid to Good Home by Hiroshi Ito (Gecko Press) read in both English and Japanese ... and then watch them make a glorious mess of the City Gallery as they make their own ‘Free Kid!’ box to take home. Suitable for ages 3+.
Activities & Workshops
10am - 1pm | drop in
Upstairs in the City Gallery you will find fun activities related to all of the books we are celebrating on this day of stories! Visit Rajorshi Chakraborti and his daughter Leela, father-daughter co-authors of The Bad Smell Hotel, and have a go at making your own book to take home. Help us craft a wordy kind of birthday cake for ReadNZ who are celebrating 50 years of helping us find out about incredible Aotearoa stories!
Vic Books will be on site all morning with books from this programme and more.
