The Caring Stars of Matariki: Pohutukawa and Hiwa-I-Te-Rangi product reviews

This is a charming story of two very special Matariki stars - Pohutukawa, who cares for those who have passed and escorts them up to the sky where they become new stars, and Hiwa-i-te-Rangi, who inspires the living as they plan for the year to come. It is set in Te Mata Hapuku (Birdlings Flat) in Te Wai Pounamu (the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand).

For the children, the release of this book could not have been better timed. Their beloved elderly dog passed away recently, and Miss Six was very sad. The idea that he might be able to go with all the people who had died so he could live on as a star was perfect; it really helped her to come to terms with his loss. Her mother commented that the book described this process in a way that was easy for children to understand.

Although that was the most immediate takeaway from the story, the whole family learned several new things about Matariki and the role of these two stars. They liked the way that Maori words were included in the text, just enough to give the story a local flavour and also to define things that have no exact English equivalent like patupaiarehe and Matariki. Most were words they already knew, but there were a few new words in both English and Te Reo which required a quick visit to GOOGLE. Some of the words did have translations at the bottom of the page where they occurred, and that helped too.

The idea of planning for the year ahead appealed to the whole family. Hiwa-i-te-Rangi is going to be their inspiration from now on, and they decided it was something they would repeat each year at Matariki. Although there are similarities to the way people make New Year resolutions in the Pakeha world, the Matariki planning is more spiritual and also more appropriate for Aotearoa New Zealand.

The high point for Mr Three was the illustrations. He "read" the book by pointing out each illustration in turn and explaining what it was. His favourites were the green koru and the stars. The colours used are almost surreal, greens and yellows with some blues and browns to reflect the colours of mid-winter. I have been to Ta Mata Hapuku in the middle of winter and can confirm that the muted colours are perfect to show the wild beauty of this very special place.