Twin Stars of Matariki: Waiti and Waita product reviews

The Twin Stars Of Matariki: Waiti and Waita is a book written by Miriama Kamo and illustrated by Zak Waipara and tells the story of Te Rerehua and Sam along with their grandparents trying to get Waiti (one of the stars) shining bright. The Illustrations are a mixture of bold outlines mixed with vibrant colors and an almost water-based-looking backdrop. It looks very cartoon-like and suits the story very much as it is made up of mostly natural earthy colors. The words are very bold and large making it easy reading for kids or anyone who may struggle to read small prints which is really helpful.

My eldest son read this story and adored it as he loves everything that is close to home and relatable which makes it easier to understand and explain to others. My youngest son then read it next and liked it just as much and said it is a really cool story and he loves the artwork. They both asked if there were any other books in the series and I found at the back of the book it showed there is another story the author and illustrator have done called The Stolen Stars Of Matariki so I will need to go browse the local library to see if they have it available.

Overall this is a really awesome book that will appeal especially to New Zealand kids and it is a great read between parents, grandparents, and children. It is primarily made using English words with Maori words throughout which is awesome for learning purposes and gets the kids immersed in wanting to learn the meanings of the words. Scholastic also needs a shout-out as they make it all possible to get these books out there and have such a massive part in the upbringing of learning and that deserves such massive praise so thank you to all involved in making all these books possible.

Having read "The Stolen Stars of Matariki" some time ago with my grand-daughter (then aged six), I was interested to see what my friend's children would make of this new book by the same author. Both Miss Five and Mr Four have been learning about the nine stars of Matariki and actually know all the names, so they were already programmed to enjoy this story. Mr Four had read "The Stolen Stars of Matariki" at kindergarten recently, so was particularly excited and wanted to take the new book with him one day to share with the other children.

Miss Five was most interested in the conservation theme of the book. Her family lives not far from Te Mata Hapuku (Birdlings Flat) and Te Roto o Wairewa (Forsyth Lake) which made it especially relevant for her. She was very taken by the idea that Waita washed up stones containing iron oxide to help his twin sister Waiti, and wondered if the family should go to the beach to see if they could find similar stones. In a few weeks, her school will be taking a group to plant trees by the Opawaho (Heathcote) river; she thought they should be planning to protect their seedlings from patupaiarehe too! It impressed her that Sam and Te Rerehua were planting trees to protect Te Roto o Wairewa just as she will be doing. When Waiti shone more brightly at the end of the book because the lake and the eels were happy, Miss Five was just as delighted as she was.

Miss Five was engrossed right to the end of the book. She is at the age where her concentration lasts quite a long time, especially if she is engaged in what she is doing. Mr Four, on the other hand, started to fidget about half-way through the story; he is too young to sit still for too long. However, he was clearly enjoying the story, so the decision was made to read it over two nights. He was very comfortable with this arrangement; he had been trying to force himself to stay awake because he was enjoying the book so much!

The children loved the artwork. Mr Four's favourite was the way everyone painted their faces with kokowai to scare the naughty patupaiarehe away. He responded to the Maori words in the story, understanding most and showing he was receptive to learning new ones as he heard them. Miss Five already knows many words in Te Reo, but like her brother, she acquires new words easily and demonstrates a high level of retention once she has heard them several times.

This will be a book the children return to each year at Matariki. By next year Miss Five will be able to read it herself, and Mr Four will be able to sit still through a whole reading without nodding off. And hopefully these youthful conservationists will continue to believe in and support their concern for the environment with the help of books like this one.

My primary school aged children have been doing a lot of work around Matariki and its origins and different stories since the start of the year. When I saw that there was a new release story regarding the twin stars of Matariki, I knew that my children would be keen to read it, and that we would take it and put it in the school library for others to read too.

The story focuses on the twin stars Waiti and Waita, this is written by Miriama Kamo who is a well known journalist, author, and tv presenter, and this is the second Matariki picture book she has authored, following from 'The Stolen Stars of Matariki'. The cover is quite eye-catching with two prominent figures at the front, and the colour tone is very focused with the pink/red/blue vibe.

When we opened the book and started to read, we were met with more of the stunning illustrations, the artist has managed to expand the story through their images, and the choices of colours, although the images aren't of vibrant colour they still manage to grab the reader's attention. The story focuses on Birdling's Flat and the local beach, the twin stars are Waiti (fresh water) and Waita (salt water and the ocean), the children in the story notice that Waiti is not shining as bright as usual, and their grandparents say it is because of the state of the water, and lack of plants helping to filter the dirt to provide a clean environment for the wildlife. They come up with a plan to plant around the water to help the situation, however their plan gets thwarted by people coming and ripping the plants out, a plan is made to scare them off so that the plants can thrive behind a newly constructed fence, success!

This story is a reminder that we need to look after our environment in as many ways as we possibly can so that future generations can still enjoy it. I like how this story shows perseverance in achieving the end goal, and overcoming any barriers that may pop up. This story is well written, and I think aimed more at primary school aged children, we cannot wait to see if there are more stories that get created about Matariki from Miriama Kamo.