Ko Ngā Whetū Takirua o Matariki Ko Waitī rāua ko Waitā

'Ko Ngā Whetū Takirua o Matariki: Ko Waitī rāua ko Waitā' te pukapuka tuatoru nā Miriama Kamo, ā, ka haere tonu te pakiwaitara i tīmata i 'Ngā Whetū o Matariki i whanakotia'. Nā te pīataata ngoikore o Waitī i tohu kua paru haere te roto o Wairewa. I kaha whakatō rākau te whānau kia ora ai te roto (me Waitī), heoi, nā ngā patupaiarehe i huti ngā tipu i te pō. Me whai whakaaro te whānau ki ngā kōrero tuku iho, kia kaupare ai ngā patupaiarehe.

Nā Zak Waipara ngā pikitia hei tautoko i te kōrero. Mā ngā pikitia ka whakawhānui i te horopaki o te pukapuka. He tino āwhina ngā pikitia ki ngā kaipānui e ako tonu ana i te reo Māori. He rārangi kupu anō hoki tā te pukapuka.

He rawe te kite i tētahi pukapuka e whakanui ana i te kaitiakitanga o te taiao me te mātauranga Māori. He pai tēnei momo pukapuka mā ngā tamariki me ngā whānau i ngā kāinga reo Māori me ngā Kōhanga Reo.

'Ko Ngā Whetū Takirua o Matariki: Ko Waitī rāua ko Waitā' is Miriama Kamo’s third book and continues the story started in her first book 'Ngā Whetū o Matariki i whanakotia'. At night the whānau observe that Waitī is not shining brightly, indicating pollution in Lake Wairewa. The whānau plant trees to revive the lake (and Waitī), however, patupaiarehe pull-out the seedlings at night. The whānau must draw on ancestral knowledge to divert the patupaiarehe.

The story is supported by Zak Waipara’s illustrations. The illustrations add layers to the story. For those of us who are still building our vocabulary in te reo Māori, the pictures are really helpful. The book also has a glossary.

It is great to see a book that explicitly links conservation values with mātauranga Māori. This picture book will be appreciated by tamariki and whānau in both English and Te Reo Māori homes and Kōhanga Reo.