In an imaginative exploration of the profound connection between music and emotions, Pāpāmoa author and illustrator Rebecca Larsen is today unveiling her latest literary delight.

Titled ‘Strum a Tune when you're happy Kei Te Pai', this enchanting children's book invites young readers on a captivating journey that celebrates the power of music as a means of expressing and understanding emotions.

Through vivid storytelling and vibrant illustrations, Rebecca skilfully weaves a tale that not only entertains but also imparts valuable lessons about self-expression, empathy, and the universal language of music.

The pages of this extraordinary book come alive in English and Te Reo, with a CD of music include, as readers discover the transformative magic that lies within the harmonies, rhythms and melodies that can resonate so deep within us.

Rebecca is the well-loved author of ‘Row, Row, Row your Waka', ‘Tane Mahuta has a Forest', and ‘Twinkle Twinkle Matariki'. Her bird characters Pūkeko, Kiwi and Hōiho are back and this time they are expressing their emotions with musical instruments and colour, and they are performing with actions and waiata in Te Reo and English.

'There is a lot of anxiety around at the moment and lots of big feelings out there that affect our kids, but it doesn't have to be scary, emotions flow, just like the song in this book,” says Rebecca.

The 32-page full-colour book, for three-seven-year-olds, comes with a CD and is bursting with vibrant illustrations and fun actions, all to the tune of the well-loved song ‘When You're Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands'.

With ‘Strum a Tune' she's providing an avenue for children to tap into their feelings.

'I wanted to bring emotions to the forefront but express them in a way that's approachable and fun. I chose to put this into a waiata so emotions are broken down in a way that are easy to understand, that can be aligned with actions, musical instruments and colour.”

Easy-to-find instruments can be played with the book – which has English and te reo Māori words on every page and includes the musical score.

Each emotion is represented by a colour and musical action. Yellow is happy, strumming a tune; worried is green, whistling; anger is red, banging a drum. Orange is silly, with the cheeky kea clapping his feet, then all the colours form a rainbow with the love bird ringing a bell — the only non-native bird but chosen due to a special memory for the author.

'Something I included from my childhood in the book, was a stage that used to be set up in Foxton beach, it was a rainbow stage, we used to go as kids, there were free concerts in summer, and we'd sit in the stands and listen to music. This was a really happy memory. To me all the colours represent love, love is the rainbow and acceptance.”

‘Strum a Tune when you're happy Kei Te Pai' comes with a CD of the song version of the story in both English and te reo Māori with a QR code to listen to the digital audio version.

The Māori translation was done by Justin Kereama and Tania Solomona with vocals by Justin Kereama and music by Richard Larsen. This is the first time Justin has sung the vocals for Rebecca's books and she thinks he is a wonderful singer and especially talented with traditional Māori instruments.

Rebecca, who is also the Epic Te Puke manager, is launching her new book ‘Strum a Tune when you're happy Kei Te Pai' at 10am today, Wednesday July 5, at Pāpāmoa Library.

It's a great school holiday opportunity for children to come along to a book launch and meet the author instore.

On Thursday July 6, she will be at Te Puke Paper Plus at 11am and on Saturday July 8, she will be at Paper Plus, Pāpāmoa Plaza at 11am.