Hineraukatauri me te Ara Pūoro by Elizabeth Gray

Hineraukatauri, a chrysalis has entered a new realm, the human world, without a voice. It’s dark and wet, Ranginui and Papatūānuku have not yet separated or are in the process of having their offspring create space between the two. 

Author Elizabeth Grey (Ngāti Rēhia, Ngāti Uepōhatu, Tama Ūpoko ki te

awa o Wanganui, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) takes readers on a journey as  Hineraukatauri receives her musical sounds and gifts from the various atua Māori. On each visit, Hineraukatauri is gifted a different aspect of music, and ultimately her voice. Renowned musician, Hirini Melbourne brings all the gifts to life as he makes music.

Gray, a taonga pūoro practitioner, has created a real taonga with this story, as she generously shares her knowledge with readers. Written solely in te reo Māori, it is poetic and a much-needed resource. The sentence structure is repeated throughout. This means those taking steps beyond beginner te reo Māori should be able to follow along with some strategic dictionary hunting for any unknown words. 

Part of me hopes the book is translated into English, so that more people can learn about and appreciate the beauty of taonga pūoro through this story. However, translations are not simply subbing one language for another and readers can miss out on the magic of the original. Te reo Māori brings a much deeper meaning and understanding to Hineraukatauri. 

For those with no reo Māori at all, this book is still a wonderful addition to your library. Illustrator Rehua Wilson (Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa) turns the book into, almost, a sophisticated picture book. Her ethereal illustrations tell the story of Hineraukatauri in deep hues and intricate details. 

This book will be a fantastic resource for schools and kura kaupapa, for use across the curriculum. Gray is a member of the Haumanu Collective, one of the

foremost taonga pūoro collectives in Aotearoa. Together with this book, which also features a QR code to take readers to recordings, the Haumanu Collective's website would make for a fascinating, and important, focus for learning.

Hineraukatauri me te Ara Pūoro is a powerful picture book for learning, language, identity and mātauranga. Whakanuitia te pukapuka.

Reviewer: Rebekah Lyell

Huia Publishers