Taniwha Gavin Bishop

Taniwha Gavin Bishop Author-Illustrator: Gavin Bishop Penguin (2025) 66 pages, Hardback ISBN 978 1 77695 744 6

‘Some taniwha are monstrous creatures and can’t be trusted. Others are kaitiaki who do their best to protect people and the land and sea.’ Gavin Bishop has spent his lifetime writing and illustrating books that open up Māori life, beliefs, history and legends to young readers. His latest creation looks at the world of the powerful supernatural creatures known to the Māori as taniwha. In Taniwha (2025) he has assembled a monstrous regiment of over two dozen taniwha from land, sea and river, and recounts their exploits, with imaginative and dramatic colour illustrations, in this hefty hardback. Taniwha can be protectors and guardians but they can also be violent enemies, especially if they are not treated with due respect. The quality of Gavin Bishop’s art work is such that the fact that he is also a talented writer gets overlooked. These retellings are fresh and vivid. The descriptions of some taniwha are magnificently chilling. Of the Rangitikei monster, Tūtaeporoporo, Gavin Bishop writes,‘… he grew large as a whale, sprouted bat-like wings, a lizard’s tail and his head was like a featherless bird’s head with a mouth like shark’s teeth.’ The cover illustration shows this taniwha swallowing an entire canoe full of warriors in one mouthful. There is something gruesomely adorable about Bishop’s scraperboard illustrations of the taniwha Hotupuku’s exploits. ‘Some of the toa were trampled. Others were swallowed whole.’ After his defeat of this war party, the triumphant taniwha is shown with the skulls of his victims swinging from his belt. When Hotupuku is finally defeated and disembowelled, there is a double-page illustration of the contents of his stomach spilling out: bones, weapons, garments, heads and hands. Rather than being material for a nightmare this is a reminder that monsters can be overcome. ‘After they had buried the bodies, the warriors feasted on the flesh of the taniwha.’ This stunningly beautiful book, designed by Vida and Luke Kelly, also has a glossary, a useful reading list and a stunning map which locates each taniwha from Rakiura to Mangōnui. Gavin Bishop points out that taniwha still play a role in New Zealand’s life and law, and he even offers advice on how to placate them. ‘Usually, taniwha behave well if they are respected. Some will even kindly warn you if something unpleasant is about to happen.’ Above all Taniwha introduces young readers to some famous and infamous taniwha of Māori tradition and sets each into their geographic location. Taniwha is a taonga. Trevor Agnew, 3 Oct 2025 (Review 3809)