Welcome to KIWIreviews - product reviews
•  click here to return to the homepage  •
Welcome visitor.Join us or log in

Product reviews on kiwireviews.nz : Sunday 3rd November 2024 - 04:34:24

QuickSearch for:    What is QuickSearch?
QuickJump to:    What is QuickJump?
logon name: p/w:  

I want to:

You Are Here...

Home > Categories > Books > Kids - General > Taming the Sun - Four Maori Myths review

« Niu Sila reviewNiu SilaMr Hangi reviewMr Hangi »

Score: 8.8/10  [1 review]
3 out of 5
ProdID: 395 - Taming the Sun - Four Maori Myths
Author: Gavin Bishop

Taming the Sun - Four Maori Myths
Price:
$29.95
Sample/s Supplied by:
Click to search for all products supplied by Penguin Random House

Disclosure StatementFULL DISCLOSURE: A number of units of this product have, at some time, been provided to KIWIreviews by Penguin Random House or their agents for the sole purposes of unbiased, independent reviews. No fee was requested, offered nor accepted by KIWIreviews or the reviewers themselves - these are genuine, unpaid consumer reviews.
Available:
September 2004

Taming the Sun - Four Maori Myths product reviews

In the olden days of the Maori people, there were no written legends. There would have been a storyteller - someone to make you dance and cartwheel as they told the stories of the Maori people; someone to make you laugh and cry as they rolled their eyes and stuck out their tongue in a pukana; someone to make you feel how real the gods were.

TAMING THE SUN is written and illustrated by well-known children's author and artist Gavin Bishop. Here Gavin retells four Maori legends in a very accessible style, colloquial and yet poetic. The book contains two well-known legends Maui And The Sun, Maui And The Big Fish - and two less well-known legends: Rona And The Moon and Kahu And The Taniwha. Gavin has employed a similar style for this book as he did for WEAVING EARTH AND SKY, using a strong graphic technique with stunning colours which helps the reader visualise the world of gods and mythic adventure.

TAMING THE SUN is aimed at a younger age group than WEAVING EARTH AND SKY. The retelling of the stories and the illustrations of these myths and legends are in a much simpler style for a younger audience.

Check out Penguin Random House onlineClick here to see all the listings for Penguin Random House Visit their website They do not have a Twitter account Check them out on Facebook They do not have a YouTube Channel They do not have a Pinterest board They do not have an Instagram channel They do not have a TikTok channel



Tags:
gavin bishop   maori   mythology
Other listings you may be interested in:
The Complete Driver's Atlas of New ZealandThe Complete Driver's Atlas of New Zealand
Rating: 10.0
Windows Vista Timesaving Techniques for DummiesWindows Vista Timesaving Techniques for Dummies
Rating: 10.0
The Circle Opens 1: Magic StepsThe Circle Opens 1: Magic Steps
Rating: 9.1
Magic to the BoneMagic to the Bone
Rating: 9.8
WolvenWolven
Rating: 9.0
My Story: War Stories for GirlsMy Story: War Stories for Girls
Rating: 8.8
That is NOT a Good IdeaThat is NOT a Good Idea
Rating: 8.3
The Cow Tripped Over The MoonThe Cow Tripped Over The Moon
Rating: 9.9
Dragon Knight #3: Witch!Dragon Knight #3: Witch!
Rating: 10.0
I Spy Dad!I Spy Dad!
Rating: 9.0
Sorcery Ascendant 3 - A Shattered EmpireSorcery Ascendant 3 - A Shattered Empire
Rating: 10.0
Miniwings #4: Firestorm's Musical Muck-UpMiniwings #4: Firestorm's Musical Muck-Up
Rating: 9.3
Partners in SlimePartners in Slime
Rating: 9.5

Product reviews...

Everyone is welcome to post a review. You will need to Join up or log in to post yours.

Click here to read the profile of tucker

Review by: tucker (Karl)
Dated: 10th of October, 2004

Link to this review Report this review

 

This Review: 8.8/10
Price:
Score 8 out of 10
Value for Money:
Score 8 out of 10
ReReadability:
Score 10 out of 10
Personal Choice:
Score 9 out of 10

I thought I had a handle on Maori culture, after all they're on the news often enough. But after a recent visit to a local Marae, and spending a day as their guest, with a group of about 140 others, my eyes were opened to the realisation that the media only cover the extreme ends of the Maori cultural spectrum. We only see the poor and unemployed, contrasted with the agressive activists. We are not shown the true nature of Maori culture, the history, the stories and lore, the Kawa of the nearby Iwi, and the ethical lifestyle many culturally-active Maori enjoy as part of their heritage.

So, in the spirit of exploring something old, yet new to me, I picked up this book I had on the shelves waiting for a new home, and had a read of it. Yes, it is written to be understood by the younger generation, but the stories give an insight into the myths and legends of the Maori culture to anyone who reads them. If you can suspend your disbelief, and ignore the occasional contradiction caused, no doubt, by centuries of retelling, there is a wonderfully colourful world in there worth exploring.

Being a hardcover, it is a little pricey at first glance, but when you consider the added durability hardcover books often have over paperback, the cost isn't really too far off the reasonable track at all. And the illustrations are alive with vibrant colours and traditional styling.

Overall, I was highly impressed. As a child I heard all four of these legends, and I was gratified to see that even with the removal of some of the grosser bits (such as Maui's bait when he fished up Te Ika a Maui, The North Island) the stories still retain all their rich texture and wonderment. If you are of the multicultural school of thought, you will find this to be a wonderful addition to your child's bedtime story collection.


Random listing from 'Books'...

Score: 9.5
Product reviews for listing 8460: Mini Whinny 2: Goody Four-Shoes -  Written by Stacy Gregg

Product image for Mini Whinny 2: Goody Four-ShoesMini Whinny, the mischievous little horse, plans to escape her annoyingly perfect stable neighbour! Goody Four-Shoes is the best... at everything. She's graceful. She can jump really, really high. And her mane is too perfect.

Mini Whinny doesn't like her. Not one little bit. So naughty little Mini Whinny decides to run away!

This is a delightful story about friendship and having fun with your best mate. The illustrations are by Ruth Paul.

Go to the listing

General Disclaimer...

Protected by Copyscape Plagiarism Checker - Do not copy content from this page. Creative Commons Licence All trademarks, images and copyrights on this site are owned by their respective companies.
KIWIreviews is an independent entity, part of the Knock Out News Group. This is a free public forum presenting user opinions on selected products, and as such the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinion of kiwireviews.nz and are protected under New Zealand law by the "Honest Opinion" clause of the Defamation Act of 1992. KIWIreviews accepts no liability for statements made on this site, on the premise that they have been submitted as the true and honest opinions of the individual posters. In most cases, prices and dates stated are approximate and should be considered as only guidelines.

"It ain't the parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand."
Mark Twain