Ron Bacon (1924–2005)

Part of the Myths of Aotearoa series II. This is a bilingual edition that would be great to use with class groups in the library. Waiatarua Publishing have increased the size which means if reading aloud the children can more clearly see the illustrations. In the back of the book is basic Maori pronunciation and further resources listed.

In this story Uenuku decides to build his house by the sea, but instead of helping, Maia is greedy and takes all the best food for himself. To escape show more punishment Maia hides in a big gourd and rolls down to the sea. He floats over the sea in the gourd, all the way to Aotearoa (New Zealand) where he plants seeds from the gourd. This is the story of how gourds came to the land of Aotearoa. show less

As a teacher I found this a fascinating and supremely enjoyable book to read. Oh for the simpler days of education. Definately recommend to teachers and educationalists.

Independent Reading Level- 1st-3rd
Awards- none