The Big Boil-Up by Angie Belcher

Food is a fundamental part of any culture, with its ability to bring people together and create a sense of community. Author Angie Belcher celebrates the special role kai plays in bringing whānau together in this joyful celebration of the delicacy that is boil-up.

Bubba, a young child, learns from her mother as the two prepare a boil-up. Bubba learns that the recipe isn't written down, but instead passed down through the generations. Every recipe differs, but every boil-up is delicious. More than a meal, boil-up is memories on a plate.  

Belcher also wrote Pipi Dance - inspired by gathering kaimoana near Maketū - and this is another lovely story of tradition, family and aroha.   

She uses rich language and playful rhyme to tell the story of hunting and gathering to simmering and sharing. Repetition, rhythm and rhyme, with plenty of alliteration, make this a wonderful book to read aloud.

Te reo Māori is peppered throughout the story authentically and I love that it hasn't been translated. It's also lovely that a Māori version has been created, with Te Kai Kōhua Nui, translated by Pānia Papa.

Zak Ātea's incredible artwork brings the feast to life. Her illustrations are vibrant and evocative, packed with detail. Māori design flows through the pages and it's clear Ātea has some fond memories of boil-up with every page a love letter to the meal.

Food is a core part of culture and it is wonderful to see boil-up get the picture book treatment. Boil-up is a story of connection and comfort and Belcher and Ātea nail these core ingredients in The Big Boil-Up. This is a delightful, heart warming comforting read and an essential for any whānau.

Reviewer: Rebekah Lyell

Scholastic