There’s a Moa in the Moonlight

It is so exciting that our publishers are embracing Mātauranga Māori and creating so many bilingual books. This is the third in a series by this author and concentrates on creatures now extinct in Aotearoa. Onomatopoeia, rhyme, alliteration and interesting verbs, eg: “munching”, “nestled” and “darting”, all work together to create the musical quality of the text. This book demands to be read aloud and the high-quality illustrations make it an easy book to read to a group of children.

A humorous twist on the last page shows a shocked adult coming into a room with crayon drawings of the creatures covering the walls. There is an illustrated glossary “Extras for Extincts” at the back of the book with useful details about each of the creatures.

Title: There’s a Moa in the Moonlight / He Moa kei rō Atarau

Author: Dawn McMillan

Te reo Māori text: Ngaere Roberts

Illustrator: Nikki Slade Robinson

Publisher: Oratia Books

ISBN: 978-0-947506-96-4

RRP: $25.99

Format: Hardback

Publication: November 2021

Age Range: Preschool and Primary

Any advisory warnings? No

Reviewer: Carola Crawford, English teacher, Karanga Mai Young Parents’ College, Kaiapoi

How are you recommending this book? Highly Recommended

Opening sentence: There’s a Moa in the moonlight.

You can buy this book here