Tama and the Taniwha    Melanie Koster  Monica Koster

                                                                      

                                                           

Tama and the Taniwha   
Melanie Koster 
Ill. Monica Koster
Scholastic (2023)
Picture Book, 32 pages
Paperback
ISBN 978 1 77543 793 2

 

‘Don’t put your waewae in the water … or the taniwha might get you.’

This picture book for young readers takes a wryly humorous look at a young boy, Tama, being teased by his three older sisters. Bobbing about in the lake, they tease him about the possibility of a taniwha. ‘Tasty toes!’ taunts Hinewai.

Nervous, Tama checks with Grandad who has never seen a taniwha there. Grandma, swimming backstroke in the lake, is more encouraging, ‘You should join me! The water is beautiful!’

Tama master his fear, despite his sisters’ jokes, and starts swimming.  Suddenly each of the sisters feels something touching their feet. Hinewai, Tui and Maia scramble out of the water to Grandad. Tama, however, carries on swimming and meets the taniwha.

The illustrator Monica Koster (who is Melanie Koster’s artist daughter) has created colourful images of Tama’s experiences at the lake. Her illustrations are a fine match for the vivid word-pictures in the text, such as Grandma’s swimming costume which ‘gleamed like a polished pāua shell.’ She has created an attractive family as well as some beautiful underwater scenes. The taniwha – both in its imaginary and real form – is portrayed with flair and humour.

Young readers will find that this is a story where they can find pleasure in unravelling the plot and interpreting the illustrations. As a bonus, they learn the Māori words for body parts from waewae [toes] to māhunga [head].

 

Note: Teaching notes for Tama and the Taniwha are on the Scholastic website at: tama-and-the-taniwha_tn_final.pdf

A Māori language edition, Ko Tama me le Taniwha, is also available.

Trevor Agnew, 23 August 2023

[Review 3587]