I Am You, Papatūānuku, Kate Parker
Written and illustrated by Kate Parker
With words by: The children of New Lynn School
Published by Little Love
$30, hardback, 32pp, 240 x 240mm
ISBN: 978-1-0670875-0-0
In stores: November 2025
I Am You, Papatūānuku: Messages from Children for Planet Earth is a powerful collaboration between artist and educator Kate Parker and the tamariki of New Lynn School, Tāmaki Makaurau.
Blending children’s heartfelt words with stunning artwork, the book is both a celebration of imagination and a call to action for our planet.
Through their voices, young people share hopes, questions and challenges for adults, reminding us of our duty to protect the earth for future generations. Interwoven with their messages are vibrant illustrations, a kuputaka of native species, and practical steps we can take to support Papatūānuku.
Beautiful, poetic, urgent, and uplifting, this is a book that invites readers of all ages to pause, listen, and act.
KATE PARKER, of Ngati Maniapoto and English descent, grew up roaming the bush and riding horses in Kaeo, in the Far North of Aotearoa. After studying theatre in Melbourne, she co-founded Aotearoa’s Red Leap Theatre. A visual artist and teacher, Kate lives with her whānau in Tāmaki Makaurau.
She enjoys wildlife, being near the forest and the sea, and finding ways to support Papatūānuku.
Kate’s first picture book, Kōwhai and the Giants, won Best Picture Book and Best First Book at the 2021 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.
