He Aha te Raru ki Tai? What’s the Matter with the Sea? Mij le ábijn dáhpáduvvamin? by Rita Sørly

Alerted to the unusual appearance of a rare whale in the north of Norway, Māori marine biologists Aihe and Whina set out from Otago to track its path and find out what is going wrong with the world’s oceans.

In a world first, this unique picture book is trilingual in Māori, English and the endangered Lule Sámi language. The book centres on the connection between the indigenous peoples of Norway and Aotearoa, while telling a thoughtful story that highlights the need to care for our marine environment.

This is a really unusual book that will be an incredible resource in any New Zealand classroom. There are so many different layers to the book.

The story focuses on the health of the seas, particularly in relation to plastic pollution. It also centres around beaked whales, which are among the least-known groups of mammals due to their usual deep-sea habitat and elusive behaviour. Aihe and Whina travel to Norway via sea from New Zealand, meeting numerous other animals alongside the obvious geography threads. 

On top of that, there is the language and cultural aspects of the book. The story, by Rita Sørly was originally published in Norwegian and Northern Sámi as Ábiid Plástihkat - Plasten I Havet.

Kanapu Rangitauira (Te Arawa, Ngāti Porou, Te Whakatōhea) translates the story into te reo Māori, while Are Tjihkkom wrote it in Lule Sámi. I can't speak of the Lule Sámi, but Rangitauira does a wonderful job and this is a great book for those more advanced beginners to test their reo Māori out on.

Of particular note within the book is how the English, translated by Maria Nayr de Pinho Correia Ibrahim and Charlotta Maria Langejan, acts more like subtitles, coming secondary to the indigenous languages.  I would love to hear an audio recording of the book in all its languages, but especially in Lule Sámi. 

llustrator Malgorzata Piotrowska has a unique style, rich with vibrant colours and deep blues. There is a surprising amount of detail, with animals lurking in the depths among tangles of plastic. Her artwork will be yet another fascinating aspect of the book to dive into as a teacher.

With three languages and an important theme, this book is much more than a story. It will be a fantastic tool for deep learning and understanding across multiple threads.

Reviewer: Rebekah Lyell