My Family Tree, my Whānau and Me

My family tree grows over the sand. Its droopy tendrils tickle my hands. I’ll pretend I’m a pirate sailing over the sea on a ship I call ‘hairy armpit tree’! From singer-songwriter June Pitman-Hayes comes a story told in both English and Māori that celebrates the family trees (literal trees) of a diverse range of children. From pōhutukawa, to olive, to flowering cherry … even to the humble apple tree, which feeds its community.