17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An informative introducton to the Maori of New Zealand, December 11, 2003
This review is from: The Maori of New Zealand (First Peoples: Level 4-8) (Hardcover)
I am sure I am not the only one who checked out this First Peoples volume on "The Maori of New Zealand" after being enthralled by the film "Whale Rider." Author Steve Theunisen is a freelance writer living in Masterton, North Island who has been a lifelong student of Maori and Pacific Island culture, and whose wife belongs to the Ngai Te Rangi Nui Maori tribe, so this volume has the added virtue of being written by someone with strong times to the Maori. Such ethos rarely applies to these type of books, so I like to appreciate it when it does.
The Maori are the descendants of Polynesian ancestors who first settled along the coastal regions of New Zealand about 1,500 years ago. The early Maori were hunters, fishers, and farmers who relied on the bounty of the land and water of New Zealand to survive. The arrival of Europeans resulted in a cultural integration that finds many Maori living a modern lifestyle today while keeping their heritage and centuries-old traditions alive.
This book is presented as a series of two-page spreads on topics that are devoted to both the geography of New Zealand ("Land at the Bottom of the World," "New Zealand Wildlife") along with the history ("The Great Migration," "European Contact") and culture ("Traditional Homes," "The Art of the Maori") of the Maori. Each spread is illustrated with color photography, although there are also some historic woodcuts, etchings and photographs as well. The result is a lot of information provided in a concise, colorful, and compelling way.
Other titles in the First People Series look at "The Aboriginal Peoples of Australia," "The Ainu of Japan," "The Inuit of Canada," "The Sami of Northern Europe," "The Yanomami of South America," and "The Zulu of Africa." There are about another dozen titles, and as you can see they cover all of the inhabited continents. If the rest of the volumes are as good as this one then these is an excellent series that young students can turn to for lots of information about the First Peoples of the earth.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Maori of New Zealand, June 29, 2007
This review is from: The Maori of New Zealand (First Peoples: Level 4-8) (Hardcover)
The Maori of New Zealand is an outstanding resource for studying this cultural part of New Zealand. It is kid-friendly, yet packed with pictures and information. My third graders enjoyed it immensely. The shipper, Topshelf Treasures, has been excellent in resolving an issue that arose in the shipping of the book.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Maori of New Zealand, February 12, 2007
This review is from: The Maori of New Zealand (First Peoples: Level 4-8) (Hardcover)
Good overview, but I was hoping for more detailed information about thier culture.
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