Tui, his cousin Jennifer and their whanau go to the south Kaipara to visit
their Uncle Rua and Auntie Mina. Exploring the area down to Muriwai, they learn
about moa, kauri, Māui dolphins,
kaitiakitanga (stewardship), geology and more. In the telling of their stories,
a previously unknown taniwha (monster) takes centre stage!
Mixing English and Māori, established and newer ethnic groups, this new work in the Sharing Our Stories series connects children with the amazing environments and history around them.
The Authors
Malcolm Paterson belongs to Ngāti Whātua of Auckland and the Kaipara, and
represents his iwi in heritage and environmental issues. He is author of the
previous Sharing our Stories books The Castle in our Backyard (2010) and The
Tunnel in our Backyard (2016) He lives with his family in Te Atatū, Auckland.
Martin Bailey is a well-known illustrator who has created numerous
children’s books over a long career. He recently founded the boutique
publisher Black Chook Books. Martin lives in Muriwai, one of the main locations
in this work.
