Land of the Long White Cloud: Maori Myths, Tales and Legends

by Kiri Te Kanawa, Michael Foreman (Illustrator)

A collection of nineteen tales from various Maori tribes of New Zealand about the trickster Maui, the Creation, monsters, birds, animals, and special places.

Genres: Mythology, Childrens, Nonfiction, Short Stories

118 pages, Hardcover

First published September 18, 1989

About the author

Te Kanawa was born Claire Mary Teresa Rawstron in Gisborne, New Zealand, to Māori butcher Tieki "Jack" Wawatai and to Mary Noeleen Rawstron, who was the daughter of Irish emigrants. Wawatai was already married. Mary Noeleen Rawstron's mother insisted the baby be given up for adoption.Te Kawana was adopted as an infant by Thomas Te Kanawa, the owner of a successful trucking business, and his wife Nell.

She was educated at St Mary's College, Auckland, and formally trained in operatic singing by Sister Mary Leo Niccol. Te Kanawa began her singing career as a mezzo-soprano but developed into a soprano.Her recording of the "Nuns' Chorus" from the Strauss operetta Casanova was the first gold record produced in New Zealand.

Te Kanawa met Desmond Park on a blind date in London in August 1967, and they married six weeks later at St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland. They adopted two children, Antonia (born 1976) and Thomas (born 1979). The couple divorced in 1997.

In 1966, without an audition, she enrolled at the London Opera Centre to study under Vera Rózsa and James Robertson, who reputedly said Te Kanawa lacked a singing technique when she arrived at the school but had a gift for captivating audiences. She first appeared on stage as the Second Lady in Mozart's The Magic Flute, as well as in performances of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas in December 1968 at the Sadler's Wells Theatre. She also sang the title role in Donizetti's Anna Bolena. In 1969, she sang Elena in Rossini's La donna del lago at the Camden Festival, and was also offered the role of the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro after an audition of which the conductor, Colin Davis, said, "I couldn't believe my ears. I've taken thousands of auditions, but it was such a fantastically beautiful voice." Praise for her Idamante in Mozart's Idomeneo led to an offer of a three-year contract as junior principal at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, where she made her debut as Xenia in Boris Godunov and a Flower Maiden in Parsifal in 1970.[ Under director John Copley, Te Kanawa was carefully groomed for the role of the Countess for a December 1971 opening.

Meanwhile, word of her success had reached John Crosby at the Santa Fe Opera, a summer opera festival in New Mexico then about to begin its 15th season. He cast her as the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro, which opened on 30 July 1971. The performance also featured Frederica von Stade in her debut as Cherubino. "It was two of the newcomers who left the audience dazzled: Frederica von Stade as Cherubino and Te Kanawa as the Countess. Everyone knew at once that these were brilliant finds. History has confirmed that first impression."

A long & distinguished musical career followed.

Dame Kiri retired from public performance in 2017.

other than the date of Dame kiri's retirement, this was abridged from Wikipedia.

Reviews

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Maui stories stories were a hit with the kids. Other stories had sexism, murder, spouse-stealing, etc that would require more context than I was willing to provide for 6-year-olds.

[Csenge · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really beautiful book, with really beautiful stories. The illustrations were pretty, and the tales were exciting and likable. It was a short read, but a really fun adventure.

[Jeremy Manuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy reading the myths and legends of other cultures, because it is always interesting to see how they are similar and different to ones I know a little better. This book is a book telling about the myths and legends of the Maori, the aboriginal people of New Zealand. I really didn't know much of anything about the myths and legends of the Maori, so I was excited to learn a bit more about their stories and mythology.

After reading this book it felt like the Maori have some very unique stories that I hadn't even really heard variants of. They were definitely interesting to read. There are also beautiful illustrations in the book that are fun to look at while reading the various stories. I also enjoy the fact that there is small blurb that present a little background to the story before most of the stories.

Even though I felt the stories were unique, the stories still hit on themes common to the human experience. There are stories of love, death, as well as the tales that try to explain why the world works the way it does.

I really enjoyed these collection of stories. I don't know how much more I'd say I know about the Maori mythology, but I found them very interesting to read. If you're interested in learning a bit more about Maori mythology and legend this would be a good book that the whole family can enjoy learning from.

[Mandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet collection of maori tales and I enjoyed reading it before bed. The illustrations were my main draw, and the vibrant wet-on-wet watercolors were amazing.

I always find it interesting to note common themes/motifs in collections like this. Here we have recurring elements of the underworld, trapping monsters in big nets, and trying to win a wife from another village.

My favorite tales were:
Hinemoa and Tutanekai
The Talking Taniwha of Rotorua
Mataora and Niwareka in the Underworld
Putawai

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always interesting to read myths/fairy tales/folktales from other cultures, because they share similarities with the tales I'm more familiar with, while also having distinct differences. I also liked the fact that these are tales told as the author remembers them from her childhood, which I think probably contributed to them being told in a style that was direct but also had a nice flow to it.

[John Poulain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cutesy and well illustrated collection of Maori myths from New Zealand. There are some odd choices with regards to the stories' order, starting with creation and Maui before going to unconnected stories about different Maoris and ending with Maui giving a bird longer legs.

The author says these are retellings of childhood stories without attempting to verify them with anyone else so it's quite honest and better seen as living mythology than anything scholarly.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated collection of Maori myths & legends I read to my kids as part of a homeschool unit on "The Bottom of the World" (Australia & New Zealand) - the stories are well and simply told, and it was written by a Maori woman who was a famous opera singer. Very cool.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations with the Maori tales and legends.

[Annette McIntyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

A series of Maori myths, legends and fairy tales are contained in this book, told by New Zealand soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.

[Alfie Garland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated collection of Maori tales, perfect for young children or the folklore lover alike.

[Anneke Alnatour · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid collection of short stories. I thought it could do with some editing. Enjoyable enough.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really surprised when I came across this book on the shelves of my local library. Not so much for the book itself, but because I only knew the author as a really well-known opera singer. So I had to read it.

I've always loved fairy tales, myths and legends, but growing up, my reading focused mostly on European tales. I had a book of fairy tales from around the world, but it had its limitations: children's books usually aren't 1000 pages, so there was a lot of stuff left out. Honestly, considering back then I re-read every book on my shelves at least 25 times, we probably should make children's books 1000 pages once in a while.

Anyway, back to the review. This book was fascinating. The story telling is like nothing I was familiar with, understandably, and it gripped me in new and enchanting ways. I would recommend it to children and adults alike.

[Torzilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains a series of myths the author heard while growing up in New Zealand that explore Maori life in detail. For instance, one can learn how the sun was captured and slowed so the day would last longer.

The watercolor illustrations accompanying these tales, coupled with the brief explanations in the foreword, enhance the reading experience and truly bestow a sense of the Maori culture.

The best part was reading the brief paragraph before each tale and hearing how the author viewed everything as a child. It definitely added another element while reading the text.

[Connie D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely told stories, with enough detail to make them truly interesting. It's in the juvenile section of the library, but doesn't talk down to children or adults. (If you're choosing this for a read-aloud book to young children, I'd read the story to yourself first to choose ones most suited to them. Many of these are probably most suited to older children, teens, and adults.)

Very appealing watercolor illustrations that suggest strong natural and magical forces (not attempting the Maori art style, by the way).

[Jenny]

22/25
5 original
4 plot
5 fast read
4 plot
4 opinion

I read this in paperback form and it was a gift from my grandparents after they got back from Hawaii.