Mauri
Merryn Jones 
Isobel Joy Te Aho-White

 

Mauri
Merryn Jones
Ill. Isobel Joy Te Aho-White
Māori trans. Kanapu Rangitauira
Oratia (2026)
Picture book
24 pages, Paperback
ISBN 978 1 99004 296 6

 

‘From the source to the mouth of the sea all things are joined together as one.
Mai i te mātāpuna ki te ngutuawa ka tuituia ngā mea katoa hei Kotahi.’

 Merryn Jones has had the brilliant idea of creating a picture book which explores the Māori concept of Mauri for young readers. Mauri is variously defined as ‘spirit’ or ‘life principle’, or ‘vital spirit that connects all living things.’ The genius of this book is that it uses the traditional Māori creation story to show the interconnection of everything in the environment. The text is written in clear simple English, accompanied by a Māori translation by Kanapu Rangitauira.

 The story begins with Papatūānuku, the Earth Mother, sweltering in heat and darkness beneath Ranginui, the Sky Father.

‘I’m hot and thirsty,’ she said. ‘My forests and rivers need water.’
‘Kei te wera, kei te hiainu ahau,’ hei tāna. ‘Me whai wai ōku ngahere, ōku awa.’

 The first of their offspring to be called to help is Tāwhirimātea, the god of weather, who presses the rising heat into clouds. Soon rain is falling on the mountains and streams are flowing through the forests.

‘Fish and eels moved gracefully in the river currents.’
‘Tau an te tere o ngā ika me ngā tuna i te au o ngā awa.’

 Papatūānuku tells Ranginui that her trees and plants need sunshine to grow. He calls on Tamanuiterā, the sun god, to provide sunlight, thus bringing joy to Tāne Mahuta and his oxygen-breathing forests.  The plants in the vegetable gardens of Rongomātāne, god of crops and peace, flourish. The winds of Tāwhirimātea carry the seeds of the plants and help the birds to fly on their migrations.

Exhausted, Papatūānuku needs rest, so Tamanuiterā passes some of his light to Te Marama, the goddess of the moon. All the creatures of Tangaroa, the sea god listen and he sheds tears of joy.

‘Millions of stars glittered as Te Marama whispered a lullaby.’

‘Whērikoriko ana ngā tini whetū i a Te Marama e oriori ana.’

 

Aware that all living things are connected to each other and the environment, Ranginui and Papatūānuku sleep quietly.

 Most young readers will be familiar with the Māori pantheon and the gods’ particular responsibilities but Merryn Jones has carefully emphasised examples of the way all aspects of the natural environment are connected. Thus there are subtle reminders of plants breathing out oxygen, birds carrying seeds, the wind’s involvement with clouds and the importance of water.

 The illustrations are an important part of this book and Isobel Joy Te Aho-White has excelled herself with her beautifully symbolic pictures. Papatūānuku is clothed in vegetation greenery, while Ranginui appears dressed in a sky-blue cloak with a cloud patterns. Meanwhile the various minor gods are skilfully represented as they appear in traditional carvings, with stylised bodies and three fingers. Tāne Mahuta is shown standing tall before his kauri trees, while Rongomātāne is presented as an earth-coloured gardener, working a kō in a kūmara patch. Tangaroa, with his fish-like tail is all sinuous curves of green and blue, as he listens to his whales singing. A single tear can be seen dropping from his eye, even though he is underwater.

 The picture of sky-blue Tāwhirimātea captures the theme of Mauri, as he simultaneously puffs out wind and squeezes the clouds to release the rain which nurtures the plants and trees below. All is connected.

 Mauri is the work of three talented people coming together to share their special abilities, making this book a symbol of mauri in action.

 In the words of Dr Pita Sharples, speaking in 2009:
‘From the source to the mouth of the sea all things are joined together as one.
Mai i te mātāpuna ki te ngutuawa ka tuituia ngā mea katoa hei Kotahi.’

 Trevor Agnew

17 Oct 2026  [Review 3870.]

 

Note for further reading:

The Urban Activity Book, a recently published nature guide for young people, includes several references to the concept of mauri, as part of ‘helping tamariki to build respectful, joyful relationships and connections with the world around them.’ -  The Urban Activity Book by Rachel Haydon, Te Papa Press, (2026) pages 5, 26-31.

 

Mauri is also the theme of Robyn Kahukiwa’s picture book The Koroua and the Mauri Stone, Puffin (1994). (see below) The text of this book is also reprinted in the collection Te Ao Marama, Volume 4: Contemporary Māori Writing for Children, edited by Witi Ihimaera (1994).

 Trevor Agnew
17 Oct 2026  [Review 3870.]

 

The Koroua and the Mauri Stone
Robyn Kahukiwa
Puffin/Viking (1994)
Picture book
Paperback, 32 pages
ISBN 0 14 054582 4

 

Maori language edition:
Te Koroua me te Kohatu Mauri
Robyn Kahukiwa Te reo Māori translation
by Wi Kuki Kaa
Puffin/Viking (1994)
Picture book
Paperback, 32 pages
ISBN 978 0 14 054583 2

 Robyn Kahukiwa has written and illustrated The Koroua and the Mauri Stone, a wonderful story of an elderly Māori man who is searching for the lost Mauri Stone of his ancestors. As a koroua (Māori elder), he is anxious to restore the land and ‘the children of Tane’ (the plants and trees of the forest) to their original strength.

He builds a traditional Māori kite, which he names Kahau (linking to the idea of a messenger to the gods). In his kite, he incorporates mana, ihi and wehi. Then he flies it over the ancestral land. While it is being flown, the kite breaks the string holding it and takes its own path, falling where the Mauri stone lies. The rediscovery which follows inspires the old man’s whānau (extended family) to take heart and begin the restoration work which will help the forest to recover. The birds and insects will live there again.

A list of the birds and trees that once inhabited the land is given in a guide at the back of the book. It also lists those trees and plants that are being replanted by the family.

A Glossary explains that ‘Ihi’ means power, ‘Wehi’ means fear or awe, and ‘Mana’ means integrity. Mauri is defined as the spirit or life principle enfolding all living things including people as well the land, mountains, rivers, streams and the sea. They all depend on each other. In Māori tradition, Tāne is the name of the deity responsible for the forests.

 Note: A Māori language edition, Te Koroua me te Kohatu Mauri, was also published by Puffin Books in 1994. [ISBN 978 0 14 054583 2] It was translated into te reo Māori by Wi Kuki Kaa.

The text of this story is also reprinted in the collection Te Ao Marama, Volume 4: Contemporary Māori Writing for Children, edited by Witi Ihimaera, Reed (1996).

Trevor Agnew