In this bilingual Maori/English picture-book from Mere Whaanga-Schollum - a Maori scholar and children's author/artist of Ngati Rongomaiwahine and Ngati Kahungunu descent - the story of how Paua (or abalone shells) came to be is delightfully set out. Sad and lonely, an unattractive sea creature named Paua draws the attention of the sea god Tangaroa, who responds to his pleas by giving him a dazzling shell with all the blues of the ocean, greens of the forest, violets of the dawn, and blush pinks of the sunset. But this new finery soon provokes jealousy in the other sea creatures - who had previously ridiculed Paua for his ugliness - and their spite robs Paua of his ability to enjoy this new blessing. Then, in great anger at the pettiness of the other sea creatures, Tangaroa arranges it so that this beauty can only be seen by Paua himself, inside his shell...

An engaging presentation of a pourquoi tale explaining the beautiful iridescence of abalone shells, Tangaroa's Gift: Te Koha ā Tangaroa also has a great deal of visual appeal, with lovely, swirling illustrations, done in subtle shades that perfectly evoke the cool underwater vista. I cannot evaluate the Maori text, being unfamiliar with that language, but the English one is sure to interest young readers, who will sympathize with Paua, and be pleased at the beauty of his new 'home.' All in all, a charming little book, one I am glad to have happened upon at a used bookstore (it being unavailable otherwise, here in the states), and one I would recommend to all young folklore enthusiasts with an interest in Maori stories. ( )

The story comes from New Zealand and is written in both English and the traditional language of Maori. The story is based on a folk tale from the Polynesian culture in New Zealand and tells of Paua getting a beautiful shell. The other sea animals become jealous of his new accesory and feel it is too flashy and try to destroy, but the sea God, Tangaroa builds more layers into the shell. They were the colors of the rocks so that Paua could blend in with ocean floor and not be attacked. The legend the author writes about ends by saying that no one can see the true inner beauty or beautiful layers of Paua, unless he is washed ashore.

ART/MEDIA: water color, colored pencil ( )