Jane Va'afusuaga
- Talofa lava,' My name is Jane Va'afusuaga. I am the daughter of Scottish immigrants to Aotearoa, NZ. I was born and raised in Eastbourne, Wellington. I trained as a primary school teacher and lived and taught in Auckland for 10 years before moving to Samoa where I met my husband. Samoa was my home for 22 years and we raised our daughter there. I lived in Apia for 10 years and in the village of Falease'ela for 12 years where my husband and I were involved in ecotourism and conservation. In 2024, we moved back to NZ.
My passion is to write stories that children in Aotearoa and the Pacific Islands can relate to: with charcters, settings and situations they can easily identify with.
Genre:
Skills:
- Children's Fiction
- Short Stories
Branch:
Auckland
Location:
Publications:
A Gift for Ana
Blurb - That first night in Sāmoa, Ana slept next to her grandmother on an old bed with sheets that smelled of mothballs. Now it was morning and as she opened her eyes, Ana saw that the other side of the bed was empty. She sat up and looked across the room.
Also available in Sāmoan as O le Meaalofa mo Ana
Author - Jane Va'afusuaga
Illustrator - Azra Pinder Pancho
Publisher - Little Island Press (2017)
O le Meaalofa mo Ana
Blurb - O le pō muamua i Sāmoa, na momoe ai Ana ma lona tinā matua i luga o se moega tuāi lava, ma `a`āfu i ni `ie`afu namu atigi mogamoga. Ua malama le taeao, ma e ala a`e Ana, ua leai se `olomatua.
Also available in English as A Gift for Ana
Author - Jane Va'afusuaga
Illustrator - Azra Pinder Pancho
Translator - Avikaila Sopoitulagi Tilialo
Publisher - Little Island Press (2017)
Mose and the Manumea
Blurb - After hearing about the endangered manumea bird on the radio, Mose and his cousin Niko set off to search for a manumea in the deep dark forest on the far side of the mountain.
Also available in Samoan as O Mose ma le Manumea
Authors - Jane Va'afusuaga & Rebecca Stirnemann
Illustrator - Christina Brady
Publisher - Little Island Press (2018)
ISBN - 978-1-877484-45-2
Uncle Tino
Blurb - James and Jessie are embarrassed by Uncle Tino’s old car and the way he honks the horn so loudly when he drives them to school. But when the Sāmoan culture group needs help to prepare for the end of year consert, it turns out that Uncle Tino is full of surprises.
Also available in Sāmoan
Author - Jane Va'afusuaga
Illustrator - Nanette Lela'ulu
Publisher - Little Island Press (2020)
ISBN - 978-1-877484-38-4
Visiting Grandma
A children's picture book about a Sāmoan family set in New Zealand from the perspective of a palagi girl. A normal event in one culture may seem unusual to another culture. When palagi Rachel goes with her new Sāmoan friend Luisa to visit her grandmother, it’s not quite what Rachel expects. A touching story about honouring your loved ones. With detailed illustrations by Azra Pinder-Pancho.
The Sāmoan translation, Āsiasiga iā Tinā, will be available later in 2020
Published by Little Island Press
ISBN 9181877484353
O Mose ma le Manumea
The Sāmoan edition of Mose and the Manumea.
`Ina ua fa`alogo Mose ma lona tauusoga o Niko i le fa`asalalauga i le leitiō e uiga i le manulele fa`asao o le manumea, na fa`aoso loa le lā sa`iligā manumea. Ua ō i le loloto o le togāvao pogisā, o lo o i le isi itūmauga. `Ua maofa tama i manu ese`ese na lātou fetaia`i i le vaomatua, `ae fa`amata o le `ā lā mauaina lenei manulele mauagatā?
O Mose ma le Manumea is designed to be read independently by 8–10 year olds and to be read aloud to younger readers.
It can be enjoyed by families and also used as a valuable interactive conservation resource in classrooms. An educational resource containing facts about the manumea and other endemic species of birds. It raises awareness about the importance of protecting the manumea – the critically endangered national bird of Sāmoa.
Royalties from sales of the book will go towards conservation of the manumea initiatives in Sāmoa.
34 pages Softcover 215mm x 215mm
Voices From Around the World Sāmoa
Voices from Around the World - Samoa
Written by Jane Va'afusuaga
With Tuiafutea O. Va'afusuaga
Learn about the island nation of Samoa from a fresh perspective. A traditional greeting welcomes readers, and the islands’ origin story brings a distant location into focus. Find out what life was like for the very first people to set foot on Samoa and discover what life there is like today. Authentic authors and content consultants ensure a sensitive, accurate depiction of the culture. Vocabulary words and pronunciations immerse readers in island culture. Additional features include a regular glossary, index, and list of sources for further reading.
Published by Norwood House Press
Available in Hardback and Paperback
ISBN 978-1-68450-747-4
Aleki
Blurb - "Aleki" is the story of a young Samoan boy who is a passionate rugby league fan. His favourite team is the Toa Samoa. Aleki plays rugby league every day until he gets injured and finds a new hobby in an unlikely place.
Bilingual English/Samoan Book
Author - Jane Va'afusuaga
Illustrator - Tomasi Greentree
Publisher - Chief Book Series (2023)
ISBN - 978-1-738598 -12
Soft cover Flip Book
Grandpa's River
Blurb - Grandpa's River/O le Vaitafe o Papa is the story of two young Sāmoan brothers who visit Sāmoa for the first time. On this trip, they meet their grandfather and hear his stories about their village of Falease'ela. The boys enjoy swimming in the Liua le Vai o Sina River and learning about the river's history, it's importance to the village and the need for everyone to help conserve this valuable natiural resource.
Bilingual English/Samoan Digital story
Author - Jane Va'afusuaga
Illustrator - Tomasi Greentree
Animation - Nik Scarr
Translator - Nerra Lealiifano-Tamarua and Malo Sepuloni
Narrator(English) - Lyall Faulalo
Narrators (Sāmoan) - Nathanael Afereti and O'Driscoll Tanuvasa
Publisher - Pacific Kids Learning (MOE STEM Project) 2024
Online Digital story