Te Wehenga: the Separation of Ranginui and Papatūānuku

Te Wehenga is a sophisticated picture book retelling the traditional Māori creation story of the separation of Ranginui and Papatūānuku. This book is beautifully written and illustrated by award-winning New Zealand illustrator Max Tait.

What makes this particular retelling stand out is the way that Tait has masterfully interwoven the story's visual elements with the written text presented in both te reo Māori and English. When you read the reo Māori text aloud, the words become a spell that transports you into the heart of the story where you can see the events of Te Wehenga unfold before you and make this book such a compelling read.

The strength of this book lies in the perfect pairing of the stunning illustrations with the written text. Tait’s illustrations in the book enhance the telling of the story, an example of this is how he uses colours that increase in intensity to reflect the events of the story. The first few pages are quite dark and muted which enhances the written text, for example, the text on the first page is “No mua i te tīmatanga…Ko te Kore” which translates to, “Before the beginning… there was nothingness.” The intensity of the colours gradually increases as the story develops with characters and actions brought into the light.

The text introduces the reader to the children of Papatūānuku and Ranginui as they seek to escape the darkness of the eternal embrace of their parents. A faint glimmer of light gives them hope of the existence of something more than the world they live in, “Perhaps there is a world beyond this eternal embrace?” This discovery presents a dilemma for the offspring of Papatūānuku and Ranginui who are forced to find a way to free themselves from the confines of the darkness in which they live. They find themselves divided between the desire for independence from their parents and the fear of upsetting cultural norms of respect for their elders. Whose voice will prevail? Which path will they choose?

The layers of meaning within the book make this a powerful and relatable text for both young people as we live in a world where cultural values often collide with views on what it means to be successful in this modern age. Overall, I think that this book is an absolute treasure for readers of all ages in that it has something for everyone—stunning illustrations which provide a visual feast coupled with a brilliant blend of bilingual storytelling that offers readers food for thought and a fresh new perspective on the creation of the world.

NB: The book has references to violence e.g. desire to kill the parents and hacking of limbs, bloodshed etc. This may be disturbing for some readers.