Transcript
JUNE ALLEN: I enjoyed being on holiday in the Cook Islands and I'd seen this game played where the kids had gone out the evening before and collected crabs. I didn't really know what was going to happen but then the next day in the afternoon when we saw this big rope circle and the bucket of crabs in the middle I thought that was pretty cute. It's fun to see something a bit different.
INDIRA STEWART: So you watched these kids fill up a bucket with crabs and did you witness the race yourself?
JA: Oh I was there, most certainly. There were as many adults as children sitting around.
IS: And were the adults participating?
JA: Oh they were. They actually have a [..] going and people have bet on which crab's going to get to the circle first. Of course the crab doesn't know he's racing. He just wants to get the heck out of there. That features - I haven't put anything about gambling because it's a book for little children. However, I do have another sense in this story starting with a tiny one - and it's the coconut crab who does in effect grow very very big. I believe they're huge. And he - oh can I tell you the end? - he wins the race - but don't let on you know. It's fun! I hope it's fun. People seem to be enjoying the book already which is lovely.
IS: So when you witnessed the game there was gambling involved by the adults?
JA: That's right. So they had put down some money - it might've been two dollars, five dollars, on which crab would win. See they've all got a number painted on their shell and of course the adults have got sweepstakes, a bit like the Melbourne Cup you might say!
IS: The Cook Island version of the Melbourne Cup.
JA: Yes (laughs)
IS: So this game, this crab racing game, inspired you so much that you decided to write a children's book on it. What kind of response have you had within the Cook Island community in New Zealand?
JA: Oh it's just been marvellous. The book was only launched two weeks ago. I had written to the Consulate office in Manukau city, hoping that somebody might be interested to come to our launch. Well, I was overwhelmed. The Consul General, Mrs Rosaline Blake, came along. She brought others with her including a paramount chief of Takitimu from the Cook Islands. Also the other ladies that came from the Northwestern Cook Island - I have to stop to get this mouthful - Cook Island Northwestern Early Childhood Centre. They came along and they have enjoyed the book and they've given me so much support about the idea of having it out there in the community one way or another for people to read about one of these traditional games.
IS: There aren't many pacific books around in New Zealand, do you hope to encourage more pacific stories to be published or released here in New Zealand?
JA: I think it's important. I know it's important. And for them also, perhaps to have them back home aswell. I've been a teacher in South Auckland, quite some time back. We all know there's a huge population of Pacific people. I was in actually discussing another children's book which I have and then I mentioned that I had the one about the Cook Islands story coming along. The children's librarian showed me in my local library just how few books there are for kids to look at about the Pacific. Very very little. I was shocked, I was surprised. And yet I must think back - I'm actually a trained school librarian way back and founded the library at the Dawson primary school in Otara. We didn't think of getting stories about Pacific there. We just looked at what was available for kids stories. And there's some lovely books available but not particularly stories that come from our pacific neighbours.