Story by Olive Baldwin Illustrations by Sheila Natusch
From the inside front flap: "By weaving into history fascinating fables, legends and stories, Olive Baldwin presents a convincing and delightful story of the founding and settlement of New Zealand which will appeal to both young and old. AOTEAROA is a history of New Zealand from pre-Eruopean times to the present day. The delightful illustrations by Sheila Natusch capture the atmosphere and feeling of New Zealand and make AOTEAROA a book to be treasured."
I am going to focus on non-fiction books about New Zealand history for the next series of posts. I have quite a few in my collection. I have strived to find living books about NZ history for children and I want to share what I've found with you. The Story of New Zealand is the first post. This is the second.
Aotearoa: A History of New Zealand is a storybook about the early history of New Zealand. It is written to be read aloud to young children. It opens with the Maori legends of Maui fishing the islands out of the sea, and how the islands were populated with birds. It talks about the first people being dog-faced giants (seals?), the fair-skinned 'patapaiarehes', and giants all living long ago. Then it tells the legends of Kupe the explorer and the great migration. Then the book moves into European exploration, first with a Spaniard called Juan Fernandez, then Abel Tasman, and Captain James Cook. There is mention of the pigs arriving on the mainland too. The last ten pages tell the story, very briefly, of how Europeans settled New Zealand, the rising tensions between Maori and Europeans, the signing of The Treaty of Waitangi, etc, and finally, some notes on what the relationship between New Zealanders are like today (the book was written in 1975).
I thought the book was well-written and started strong. The language level is well suited to young children. The pictures are lovely. They alternate between black-and-white and colour for each page. Once the story moves into settlement and tensions between Maori and Europeans, it loses its way. There are too many details for a story like this to be told so simply.
Instead of this book, I would find a good book about Maori myths and legends to read to a child, then wait till they're older and find a good book on New Zealand history to read with them.
Content considerations: none
Copies are available online. Book Express is an excellent New Zealand online secondhand retailer. Otherwise, check the link below.
Comments