NZ Writer and Illustrator
A.W. Reed, illustrated by Alan Stuart Paterson
Maori Tales of Long Ago
New Holland 2014 $29.99pb 136pp
ISBN 978 1 8696 6423 7
During my years as Children’s Librarian at Wellington
Public Library the children in the Branches and Central Library wore out
countless copies of Maori Tales of Long
Ago and Wonder Tales of Maoriland,
first published by A.W. and A.H. Reed around 1949/1950. These two hardback
titles contained the stories in this new volume. It was practically all we had at that time to
introduce children to the feast of tales about Maui and Tutanekai, about Kae
and the whale, about Hatupatu. The 16 traditional stories based on ancient
Maori legends are built around two children, Hine and Rata as they listen to
old Popo the village storyteller. The stories are easy to read aloud and are
written down with an underlying sense of humour.
This volume has the original illustrations by A.S.
Paterson and I feel they have stood the Tests of Time.
Age 5 up/ Year 1 up
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