I Te Tīmatanga In the Beginning
This is a bilingual edition of Peter Gossage’s rendition of the Māori creation myth - the separation of Papatūānuku and Ranginui. The language is simple and easy to understand and could be read by most primary school children from seven years up, but it is as a shared class book that it would shine. The opened book is slightly larger than A3 and the bold and colourful illustrations can be easily seen from a distance.
There are opportunities for discussion around many themes inherent in this story, such as: the rebellion of the sons and their interactions, the violence of the separation and the importance of the natural world. This book could provide a good starting point for further work on such diverse topics as the ethics of decision making or nature conservation.
Title: I Te Tīmatanga In the Beginning
Author and illustrator: Peter Gossage
Translated into te reo by Dame Kāterina Te Heikōkō Mataira
Publisher: Scholastic
ISBN: 978-1-77543-685-0
RRP: $19.99
Format: picturebook
Publication: 1 May 2021 (this is the 20th anniversary edition)
Age Range: all ages
Reviewer: Carola Crawford, English teacher, Karanga Mai Young Parents’ College
How are you recommending this book? Highly Recommended
Opening sentence: I te tīmatanga koia rāua ko Ranginui te matua, ko Papatūānuku te whaea. In the beginning were Ranginui the father and Papatūānuku the mother.
You can buy this book here