As the world prepares to celebrate World Book Day on April 23, local personality, June Hosking, marks the occasion with two new children's books dedicated to the Cook Islands' deep ocean, Moana-Nui-o-Kiva.

June began this literary journey with her son Andy, the illustrator, in late November 2024, and envisioned World Book Day as a perfect moment to share her passion for the ocean through storytelling.

While the books have already begun circulating, this global celebration of reading and the power of books is a great opportunity to reinforce our stories, knowledge and culture.

Copies of the first edition have been printed locally and will be distributed to every school in the Cook Islands during Term 2.

The aim is to reach all schools on Rarotonga and as many pa enua schools as possible in time for World Biodiversity Day on May 22, recognising the books' potential to foster learning and critical thinking across different age groups.

The books are now available for sale in paperback and e-book via Amazon (hint: search June Hosking to find the books quickly).

 Acknowledging that this Amazon option might not be ideal for local residents, she expressed a commitment to finding a way to make the books available in both English and Cook Islands Māori for local purchase in the future.

The Cook Islands Māori interpretation of each book is well underway thanks to the expertise from Kōrero o te 'Ōrau, and once ready, copies will also be distributed to schools across the nation.

June shared that feedback received during her time at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) was positive and has led to a second edition of “Unbroken”.

This edition features an added paragraph emphasising the intangible cultural heritage deeply intertwined with the natural world. This is illustrated through practices like Pito Enua (burying the placenta) with a newly planted tree after a child's birth, highlighting the interconnectedness of land, ocean, and sky.

The book also includes wide-ranging discussion points designed to prompt critical thinking on topics such as waste management, traditional practices, historical and current impacts in the Pacific, and seabed mining (SBM).

Dr. Jeff Drazen, a renowned deep-sea scientist whose insights contributed significantly to the SBM discussion points, has penned one of the forewords for "Unbroken." He hopes that adults as well as children will engage with the book's important themes.

The initial motivation for the books was to raise awareness among Cook Islands children about deep-sea life, particularly in response to misconceptions about deep seabed mining (DSM). She noted that children had expressed the belief that DSM would bring wealth with little environmental consequence, viewing the deep ocean as a barren "desert" with only "worms" or "kutus" (lice) to be concerned about. Thanks to local expertise, this educational initiative has now expanded to reach a global audience, with sales already recorded in the UK, USA, Australia, and New Zealand.

"This has been a labour of love," emphasising the shared commitment to protecting our "precious little paradise and resilient traditional culture" which are facing increasing threats. Her firsthand experiences in other parts of the world have only reinforced the unique value of home.

A key objective of the books is to prompt tangata enua to be curious, ask questions, research and think deeply, so they can form conscious and informed opinions on deep seabed mining when the time for decision-making arrives.

All royalties generated from the sale of these books will be directly channelled into local ocean health and well-being education programmes. June expressed a "crazy dream" of achieving self-sustainability for at least one project, viewing the book sales as a way for people to offer support and empowerment.

June hopes that readers will find the books not only "delightful" but also "educational and thought-provoking," fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for our Marae Moana.