Author(s): Steph Matuku; Laya Mutton-Rogers; Kawata Teepa

Te Reo Māori | Mythology | Picture

He tino rawe ki a Te Wheke te kohikohi taonga, he moni kaitiora, he peara muramura, he rama pīataata, he taonga tawhito, ērā momo mea katoa. Engari i tētahi rangi, ka kaiponu ia ki ngā taonga e waru, kāre e kore . . . he raru kei te haere.

Description: Tamati and his little sister, Aria, are playing on the beach when Aria hurts herself and can't stop crying. Te Wheke, an octopus, hears her and says he can help. But he tricks Tamati by throwing him a gold coin and a shiny pearl, and while both Tamati's hands are full, he snatches Aria. To save his sister, Tamati devises a plan to give the octopus eight gifts - one for each of its arms - so that he is forced to let go of Aria to hold them all. With the last gift, though, he tricks the octopus, throwing a snare that wraps around its body, and Tamati, Aria and Mum capture Te Wheke.

Author Biography: Steph Matuku (Ngati Tama, Ngati Mutunga, Te Ati Awa) is a writer of plays and novels for children and young adults. Her previous publications include junior novel Whetu Toa and the Magician, which was a finalist in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults in 2019, YA fiction Flight of the Fantail and upcoming YA novel Falling into Rarohenga and Whetu Toa sequel Whetu Toa and the Hunt for Ramses. Steph is passionate about seeing Maori featured in New Zealand literature - something that was not available to her when she was growing up.