Ngāreta Gabel

Gabel was born in Auckland on 29 July 1975. She has one daughter, and began writing in the Māori language to create stories for her daughter.^[1] She has a Master of Arts degree in Maori with first-class honours from the University of Waikato, and a teaching diploma from the Wellington College of Education which she earned remotely while living in Northland.^[2][3] She has worked as a teacher at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe.^[1] She is part of the iwi (tribe) of Ngāti Kahu.^[4]

Her children's picture book Tekiteora, kei hea o hu? was published by Huia Publishers in 2003, and won the Te Kura Pounamu Award from LIANZA.^[4][2] It was translated into English by Hannah Rainforth as Oh Hogwash, Sweet Pea!.^[4] Both editions were illustrated by Ali Teo and Astrid Jensen.^[5] Gabel worked with Rainforth on the translation and ensuring that it reflected Gabel's northern iwi dialect, for example by using the term kūkupa for the kererū.^[6]

The English title won the children's choice award and was a finalist for best picture book at the 2004 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.^[4] It was listed as a 2004 Storylines Notable Book.^[4] A review in The New Zealand Herald described it as a "delightful picture book" with a "distinctive New Zealand flavour".^[7]

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