The Stolen Stars of Matariki by Miriama Kamo

 The Stolen Stars of Matariki

                     

The Stolen Stars of Matariki

(No. 1 in series)
Miriama Kamo (2018)
Ill. Zak Waipara 
Scholastic
Picture book, 32 pages
Paperback
ISBN: 978 1 77543 543 1

 

This is a splendid picture book bringing some of the Māori traditions associated with Matariki into a 21st Century context.
Young Te Rerehua and his sister, Sam, are visiting their grandparents at one of Canterbury’s important Māori traditional sites, Te Mata Hapuku (Birdlings Flat), a massive shingle spit and traditional eeling site, “a magical wild, windy place,” where they can gather agates on the beach. While Poua (grandfather) is gaffing eels at night, the children lie on the shingle with Grandma, looking up at the stars.

One night Grandma spots something strange; there are two stars missing from the Matariki cluster. The patupaiarehe (fairy folk) have been stealing stars again. Their plan is to hide the stars beneath the shingle, to be smashed to pieces, so they can wear the fragments on their clothing.
Using Grandma’s knowledge (and Poua’s gaff) Te Rerehua and Sam manage to infiltrate and outwit the mischievous patupaiarehe, and restore the kidnapped stars to their rightful place in the heavens.
Miriama Kamo has written a beautifully-styled story which has the simplicity and power of traditional folk tales.
Zak Waipara has produced magnificently atmospheric illustrations, with richly patterned and coloured backgrounds. He has successfully achieved the difficult task of mixing human and supernatural characters, as well as the technically difficult feat of portraying night-time activities. The result is a handsome and appealing picture book.

The Stolen Stars of Matariki now joins a select mini-library of celebrations of Matariki.
These include Matariki (2003), Glow-Worm Night (2004), The Seven Stars of Matariki (2008), and Tawhirimatea: A Song for Matariki (2017).

In 2018 Scholastic also published a Māori language edition, Nga Whetu Matariki Whanakotia, with the Māori translation by Ngaere Roberts. [ISBN 978 1 77543 535 8]

Note: The rising above the North-east horizon (in May-June) of the star cluster of Matariki marks the Māori New Year. While it is common to count seven stars forming the cluster known as Matariki (or Subaru or Pleaides) some Māori identify nine. The nine names are Matariki, Pōhutukawa, Waitī, Waitā, Waipuna-ā-rangi, Tupuānuku, Tupuārangi, Ururangi, and Hiwa-i-te-rangi.
Source: Christchurch Library Website: The Nine Stars of Matariki

During the 2020 Covid-19 Lockdown, musicians from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra provided a musical background, as Miriama Kamo read The Stolen stars of Matariki aloud. The composer of the original music is Claire Cowan.
Website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWWcM0BWwwc

Teaching notes for The Stolen Stars of Tamariki are at: stolen-stars-of-matariki_tn.pdf

NOTE: By June 2026 there were five books in the Matariki series by Miriama Kamo and Zak Waipara:

 The Stolen Stars of Matariki (2018)

The Twin Stars of Matariki (2023)

The Kai Stars of Matariki (2024)

The Wild and Windy Stars of Matariki (2025

The Caring Stars of Matariki (2026)

 

Māori language versions of these books are also available:

Ngā Whetu Matariki Whānakotia (2018)

Ko Ngā Whetū Takirua Matariki (2023)

Ko Ngā Whetū Kai o Matariki (2024)

Ko Ngā Whetū Hauhau, Whetū Tarakaka o Matariki (2025

Ko Ngā Whetū Raupī o Matariki (2026)

 

Trevor Agnew  13 May 2018 [updated June 2026]