The Forgotten Taniwha

Author/Illustrator: Robyn Kahukiwa

Ngakau Pono the taniwha, had been the kaitiaki of Aotearoa and the Maori people for hundreds of years. But one day, strangers arrived in Aotearoa with a different language and different customs. Everything changed and Ngakau Pono was left all alone. He went to sleep for many years.

Suddenly, there was a huge earthquake in Aotearoa that caused a tsunami and destroyed the land. Read this book to find out what happens when Ngakau Pono wakes up?

Puffin Books 978-014352-003-0
Reviewed by L. Lepou

Pipi and Mussels

Author: Dot Meharry

Pipi, mussels, New Zealand, seashore, whales, humour, Pipi's and mussels lived side by side along the coast, sharing their food until the whales came. This humourous story tells why pipi live in the sand and mussels live on rocks.

Published by : Reed publishing

The Whale Rider

Author - Witi Ihimaera
Illustrator - Bruce Potter

This timeless story tells how the courage of one girl in standing against the tide of tradition her tribe to become reconnected with their ancestral life force.

Published by - Reed Publishing
I.S.B.N. -1-86948-584X

Reviewed by - Anoma Gunawardena

The Puffin Treasury of New Zealand Children's Stories

Story No. 2 Bidibidi

Author Gavin Bishop

Illustrator Gavin Bishop

Bidibidi, the sheep, is tired of trudging around the mountains where she lives. When she sees a rainbow she decides that that is where she would rather be. With some encouragement from Stella, the Kea, Bidibidi sets out to find the rainbow. She is helped along the way by some friends as she strikes some perilous situations.

I really enjoyed this story, especially that Bidibidi was brave and she was helped by friendly animals on her way.

Puffin Books ISBN 014331825x

reviewed by Mrs Osborne

The Kuia and the Spider

Author:Patricia Grace
llustrator: Robyn Kahu Kiwa

A New Zealand book with beautiful pictures. The illustrations are very colourful and life-like. It is an easy book to read aloud. Maori Art and language is celebrated right through out the story with a great picture of the weaving of a kete.
I liked the way the Kuia and the spider argue, and yet they are friends really. Both are lonely and so this is the only way they communicate. The story also shows a typical kiwi weekend which we all can relate to. The only thing I didnt like about this book was that it did not have a proper ending, it just trailed off at the end.

Penguin Books

Reviewed by R. Achary

Child of Aotearoa

Author: Melanie Drewery

Illustrator: Bruce Potter

This is a beautifully illustrated picture book about Maori settlement and their history in Aotearoa. The visual images tell the story while the text enhances and explains the illustrations. It begins with a picture of a Kauri forest, Moa and a white sandy beach. The text describes the land before people arrived using images and language that embody the uniquely New Zealand landscape. The narrator's tone is intimate and invites the reader to listen to the story. The book continues to describe the migration of a people that over time developed into a culture that was unique to Aotearoa. The story depicts key events over the generations such as tribal competition, warfare, migration and intermarriage with other cultures. This is a book with informative and appealing illustrations and text that simply expresses the connection of Maori to Aotearoa.

Publisher: Reed Children's Book ISBN 1-86948-690-0

Reviewed: Linda Hirschfeld

Dad's Takeaways

Author: Melanie Drewery

Illustrator: Christopher White

This story is set in New Zealand during the summer school holidays. The family are on holiday at the beach and it is Dad's turn to make dinner, so what are they going to have? The decision is made to have takeaways and Dad decides that they are going to have the best takeaways in the world! He gets the children to put into a carry bag some newspaper, matches, blunt knives, a hammer, togs and towels as well as thick gloves. They grab some buckets, a sack and fry pan. What sort of takeaways are they going to have?

After having an adventurous time getting their takeaways the family decide that they certainly did have the best takeaways in the world! They also learn about looking after the environment and they make some wonderful memories as well.

This is a story that many children and adults could relate to. I really enjoyed reading it and it brought back to my mind many of my childhood holiday memories.

Published Mallinson Rendel Publishers Ltd, 2007

Reviewed by A Barthow