Kupe and the Great Octopus of Muturangi by Mat Tait

Kupe found that a huge, fearsome wheke, an octopus, was taking all the fish in the ocean and the people of Hawaiki had nothing to eat. So Kupe chased that wheke across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, the Pacific Ocean. Finally Hine-te-Aparangi, Kupe's wife, saw land and a long white cloud: Aotearoa!

This beautiful picture book takes readers on an adventure to find out what happened when the wheke and Kupe had a massive battle.

Author and illustrator Mat Tait uses bold colour and design, paired with a simple yet engrossing text to tell this pūrākau. The visual elements are absolutely stunning. For those who know Tait's earlier, and equally as stunning, book Te Wehenga, this is quite the opposite palette wise. Purples, greens and oranges burst from the page alongside bold lines and kōwhaiwhai.

His text is woven into the picture and the placement adds to the energy. Tait tells the story succinctly but deeply. The words sing and Tait knows how to create drama and suspense with the sparcest of words.

Tait is a fluent speaker of te reo Māori and the book is also available as Kupe me te Wheke Nui a Muturangi. I love seeing more and more books available in te reo Māori. These are so important for keeping the reo alive, for sustaining identity and for preserving mātauranga. 

I would love to take this book into the classroom, not just to the story. It will make an incredible resource across every strand of the curriculum. I can see it inspiring many of our younger artists and storytellers.

Kupe and the Great Octopus of Muturangi is another stunning picture book from the talented Tait that belongs in every home.  

Reviewer: Rebekah Lyell

Allen & Unwin