WINNER OF 2021 WRIGHT FAMILY FOUNDATION TE KURA POUNAMU AWARD FOR TE REO MĀORI, NZ BOOK AWARDS FOR CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULT.
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This is a traditional story told in te reo Māori from the perspective of the Kāhui Maunga people about Ngake and Whātaitai. These two taniwha inhabited Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Wellington Harbour, long before the ancestral migrations. The story tells how the shape and landscape of Wellington, its harbour and the Lower Hutt area came about because of the actions of Ngake and Whātaitai. Long ago, Te Whanganui a Tara was an enclosed lake, but Ngake forced his way out into the sea by battering through the clenched teeth of the fish of Māui to allow the fish to breathe. Whātaitai was washed down the throat of the fish, causing it to cough, and Whātaitai and three morsels flew out. The morsels became islands in the harbour, but Whātaitai was stranded and grew weak and died, becoming part of the land around the harbour.
NZ Book Awards wrote "He kōrero ātaahua nei o ngā taniwha e rua, ko Ngake me Whātaitai. This is a wonderful journey for the reader in acknowledging the formation of Te Whanganui a Tara. Through storytelling, children learn about the pūtaiao of the hidden movements within Papatūānuku, and how these beautiful Māori placenames were given – “Ka tapaina ko Te Whatu Wai Moana.” This book encourages youth to aspire to new heights through the art of reading, literacy and writing. Ko te reo kia rere, ko te reo kia tika, ko te reo kia Māori. The author personifies this through the use of the tangata whenua mita, and the illustrator’s graphic interpretation lifts the quality of the kupu and kōrero to new horizons."
Paperback
Ben Ngaia, Laya Mutton-Rogers
40 pages
H: 255mm W: 205mm Spine: 5mm
Weight: 200 grams