Mōtītī Blue is a little blue penguin caught in the oil slick that came from the wreck of the Rena near Mōtītī Island in 2011. His story is one strand of this book as he struggles to stay afloat, is rescued, taken in for cleaning and later returned to the sea. Through him we also see the effect of the disaster on the ecology of Mōtītī and the lives of its people, and the considerable efforts volunteers made to clean up the damage. This is complemented by numerous photographs and copious use of text boxes packed with information, clearly laid out and easy to follow in this beautifully designed book. The text of the story is also translated into te reo Māori by Tamati Waaka. The strong conservation message is a warning of the potential for disaster and a celebration of the efforts by ordinary people to look after their environment.

I just wanted to let you know how much I am enjoying sharing your beautiful book at school. I am relief teacher so I move around classes quite a bit and Mōtītī Blue has become my favourite book to use with new classes. The younger children (5-6) mostly don't remember the event but they have heard of it. They love the story of little Mōtītī and we talk about how Te Maunga is so close to where we are. The older ones do remember the event and some have family members who donned the white suits and helped clean the beaches. Others can recall the rubbish and the oil on the sand. Of course many of the children have a penguin story of their own from being on the beach or around Mauao. The book provides us with a good 20 minutes of story and discussion and the children are totally engrossed. One class did some fabulous writing telling the story from the perspective of the penguin. Another good talking point is why the ship got on the reef in the first place and the dangers of shortcuts and irresponsible behaviour. So, thank you for putting together this fabulous story of our place. It is wonderful

We all remember how shocked we were when the ship, Rena, hit the Astrolabe Reef off Papamoa in 2011, resulting in our worst ever maritime environmental disaster. Motiti Blue is an informative non-fiction children’s book which describes the effects of the oil spill particularly on a little blue penguin. It tells of the mammoth effort that went into the clean up and the rescue of the animals and includes many stunning photographs of the penguins and the emergency response. The beautifully presented bilingual book is written in text appropriate for primary to intermediate children. There are timelines, maps and textboxes with extra information throughout, which makes it a valuable learning experience as well as a heart-warming story. Motiti Blue is a timeless book about a terrible accident which is now part of our history - a story of hope about how a community can pull together.

Motiti Blue and the Oil Spill is a narrative nonfiction story from the Rena shipping disaster that happened off the coast of Tauranga on 5th October 2011. In the days that followed 350 tonnes of oil sunk to the seabed and polluted 400km of the pristine Bay of Plenty coastline. This bilingual children's picture book tells the story of Motiti Blue, a little blue penguin caught up in Rena's oil slick. It follows his journey through rescue, rehabilitation and release back into his natural environment on nearby Motiti Island. The Te Reo Maori translation included on each page opens the story up to a wider audience and acknowledges the impact on the tangata whenua of the area. The stunning photographs that illustrate the story remind me of when I headed to the beach to witness the disaster firsthand. Informative fact boxes throughout add a significant amount of important detail to Motiti Blue's story. The Maori translation will give another audience to the story; I am sure the translator was chosen with thought of the tangata whenua of the area. Overall the entire concept and production is a credit to the author, publisher and book designer. I highly recommend this informative book as a resource for all level of schools, one that could be well utilised during studies not just on disasters, but also on wildlife and the natural environment.

On the 5 October the Rena carrying 1,368 containers hit the Astrolabe Reef off the coast of Tauranga with such force that part of it’s hull was melted onto the reef. In the days that followed 350 tons of oil sunk to the seabed and polluted 400km of coastline. This 32 paged book gives a portrait of that disaster but personalizes it in the fate of Motiti Blue a little blue penguin who along with 364 of his buddies was caught in the pollution that was caused by the wreck. The story of all the wildlife that was affected by the oil from the wreck and the cost to the environment and to human activity is documented in simple terms. Add to this the life cycle of the little blue penguin and how birds are cleaned and returned to the environment are covered not just in English but also in Maori. The information is in bullet point boxes amongst the photographs that come from a number of sources. This is a powerful, accurate and superbly illustrated picture book sized work of a major marine disaster. An excellent resource for a study of the Rena disaster and a beginning study for senior students wanting to dig further.