The Adventures of Tupaia

Follow Tupaia as he grows up in Ra'i?tea, becoming a high-ranking 'arioi and master navigator. Join him as he meets up with Cook in Tahiti and sails as part of the crew on the Endeavour across the Pacific to Aotearoa. Witness the encounters between tangata whenua and the crew as the ship sails around the coast, and discover the important role Tupaia plays as translator and cultural interpreter.

Written in dramatic prose and verse by Courtney Sina Meredith and stunningly illustrated in graphic style by Mat Tait, this is an essential book for all New Zealanders.

New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults

'A spectacular hardback . . . Meredith and Tait incorporate a range of styles in this evocatively illustrated work, which adds nuance to the story of how Europeans put Aotearoa on their maps. It's a story that should be read in all New Zealand primary schools.'
Canvas, NZ Herald

'Astonishing . . . The illustrations in this book are just stunning and the story is so gripping and beautifully told - one of the best local non-fiction books for kids in years.'
Hera Lindsay Bird, Newsroom

'A work of art, stunningly illustrated by Mat Tait. His bold graphic style illustrations make it instantly appealing. Using an almost muted colour palette, Tait somehow manages to make the illustrations both simple and incredibly detailed at the same time. Taumi, tapa and tatau, alongside many other Pasifika art, and flora, is documented beautifully. Intricate vaka and ships float across pages, as maps unfurl.'
Rebekah Fraser, NZ Booklovers

'With rich graphic illustrations, Mat Tait shows us Tupaia's arrival in Aotearoa: scenes, people, objects, marae, warriors, hongi, muskets, life, death, peace, violence, the sky. Each page holds my attention and each page moves me. An essential book. A magnificent book in debt to mahi and aroha.'
Paula Green, Poetry Box

'This book is exquisite. with rich language that dances between prose and poetry, and incredible illustrations that do a lot with a muted colour palette on each spread. I'm delighted that we have a book that is beautiful and accessible to our tamariki that tells the story of this critical figure in the lead-up to Aotearoa of today.'
Briar Lawry, The Sapling

Courtney Sina Meredith is an Auckland poet, playwright, fiction writer and musician. Her award-winning works include her play Rushing Dolls, poetry Brown Girls in Bright Red Lipstick and short stories Tail of the Taniwha. Courtney has held various international residencies including the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa where she is an Honorary Fellow in Writing. She is the Director of Tautai, New Zealand's leading contemporary Pacific arts trust.

Mat Tait is a South Island based comics artist and writer. He gained a BFA in painting from Ilam School of Arts and then lived in America and Britain before settling in Motueka, where he does freelance illustration and works on his art. His comics work has been published widely both locally and internationally, most recently The Heading Dog Who Split In Half with writer Dr Michael Brown. He has also illustrated numerous children's and educational material for Learning Media, Pearson and other publishers.

Follow Tupaia as he grows up in Ra'iatea, becoming a high-ranking 'arioi and master navigator. Join him as he meets up with Cook in Tahiti and sails as part of the crew on the Endeavour across the Pacific to Aotearoa. Witness the encounters between tangata whenua and the crew as the ship sails around the coast, and discover the important role Tupaia plays as translator and cultural interpreter. Written in dramatic prose and verse by Courtney Sina Meredith and stunningly illustrated in graphic style by Mat Tait, this is an essential book for all New Zealanders.

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