Kiri-Michelle Mohi with the three books she has written so far.
Kiri-Michelle Mohi with the three books she has written so far.
Kiri-Michelle Mohi describes her books as raw resources.
Last year social worker Kiri-Michelle published My Colour is Enough — a book about identity with the intent that it be read one on one to help children find their foundation and give them stability.
Next week she launches the second and third books in the series — My Can of Frazzled Fizz and My All Sorts of Different Mates.
The MO is the same.
“We’ve got our PC books that kids can read by themselves, but these books are a bit above that. They are for a teacher or support carer or someone like that to work alongside the child, read it with the child and the child can ask questions.
“It would be a bit too much for a child to sit there and read by themselves.”
My Can of Frazzled Fizz addresses childhood adversity.
“The book’s dedicated to all the children who face challenges daily from waking up to going to bed — they still keep on keeping on, no matter how fizzy their can of fizz gets.”
“There was a party the night before so they are tired, they get up and still have to go to school, get their sibling ready, get bullied on the way to school, the teacher asks them ‘why are you late?’, Oranga Tamariki is coming to see them and they are worried about that — so the can of fizz is getting shaken every single adverse event that happens that day.”
By the end of the day, they “lose it”.
“The end of the story explains what we as adults could have done.
“As a community, people seeing this behaviour are going to be thinking ‘this is a naughty kid, it’s a behavioural thing’ — not realising the backstory to this kid.”
The book includes a glossary, advice on where to find help, and an activity that can be used to get an idea of “where their emotional can is today”.
The third book examines childhood diversity.
“This one is targeted at kids who have different things going on — but we are all the same.”
Each page focuses on a different type of person — from someone brought up with a gang background to those with autism, hyperactive kids to those with hearing or sight impairments.
“So [the gang background] might be the culture they are in, but we encourage them to have all sorts of different mates — to widen their horizons. That’s what this book addresses.
Kiri-Michelle Mohi’s three books — My Colour is Enough, My Can of Frazzled Fizz and My All Sorts of Different Mates.
“And the autistic child looks at things differently, but what they want from us it to encourage them to be themselves — so it’s about inclusiveness and equality.
“It addresses a whole heap of different stuff, but the thinking is still the same — reading one on one with kids. These are all real raw resources. The books don’t hold back on some stuff.”
Kiri-Michelle’s first book is now used in several local schools and copies have also gone to Canada and Australia.
“From my first book launch, all my books sold. I didn’t expect them to, but they did.”
She has also received backing from Te Arawa Trust to help publish the books, something Kiri-Michelle describes as “a huge help”.
Kiri-Michelle plans three more books, with one dealing with depression in children, and the other two subject areas undecided.
The launch will be on July 13 at The Daily Cafe from 11am, with readings at 11.30am and noon. A donation from sales will be made to The Daily Charitable Trust to go towards its lunches-in-schools programme.
Visit the Fruits of Te Arawa Facebook page for more.
