Mataali'i

Mataali'i is the Samoan celebration of the star cluster Pleiades, which is celebrated under different names across the Pacific, in New Zealand as Matariki.

Mataali'i is a Samoan cultural story, blending values with ancestry. Fetū is the youngest sister of a unique family of matai, and her connection to her siblings becomes a guiding light for her village and a reminder of the enduring power of 'āiga, duty and hope for the future. Each of Fetu's seven siblings have a different power to allow the village to live in harmony, with Fetū at the heart of this.

The story is beautiful and a wonderful way to celebrate Pacific cultures and stories, with great descriptive language to allow a picture in the readers' mind to truly understand the plot. I was pleased to see a glossary at the end to explain words our tamariki who may not be familiar with some of the Pacific language. The illustrations are stunning and incredibly detailed. This book is a great read aloud and a true treasure of the celebration of Pacific cultures.