Authors: journalist Miriama Kamo (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mutunga) & Māori astronomer Professor Rangi Matamua (Ngāi Tūhoe)

Illustrations: Isobel Joy Te-Aho White (Ngai Tahu and Ngati Kahungungu ki te Wairoa) 

A fascinating look at Matariki in New Zealand and around the world The Matariki constellation (or Pleiades) is known by many different names and is seen and celebrated by many cultures around the world.

This beautifully illustrated book features 18 stories: 9 of which highlight the Maori Matariki stars, while the others reference the stories about this constellation from different cultures, from the Pacific Islands to the Americas, Europe and Africa.

This beautifully illustrated collection of Matariki stories will be a resource to treasure in homes, schools and libraries across Aotearoa New Zealand and the wider world.

The Matariki star cluster holds great importance for Māori and the people of Aotearoa New Zealand, but this cluster is seen and celebrated across the world. From times of old, it has been used to guide people from many different lands, and it goes by many different names, such as Makali’i, Pleiades, Mao, Krittika and Subaru. Beginning with the creation story of Ranginui and Papatūānuku, the book introduces the Māori gods and Maramataka, the lunar calendar, before going into detail about the Matariki cluster and each individual star as they are known by the Māori people of Aotearoa. The second half of the book provides examples of the stories told about the same star cluster in other cultures around the world: the Cook Islands, Tahiti, Hawai’i, Australia, Japan, China, India, Africa, Greece, Scandinavia, North and South America. The book is beautifully and soulfully illustrated and includes a glossary and index.

• Hardback 
• 80 pages

Read or listen to the authors discussing this book on RNZ