This chapter book is non-stop adventure for junior reporters Scoop and Scribe. A Maori tohunga tells the two that they have to find the seven stars of Matariki that were stolen by a cheeky kea or mountain parrot. The stars have to be recovered in time for the Maori New Year which is called Matariki.
Scoop and Scribe journey across New Zealand in a seven day mad dash to find the stars. They are helped by special guardians along the way and even encounter the cheeky kea near the end who caused all the trouble.
 |
Scoop and Scribe search
for the 7 stars of Matariki.
(Random House, 2009) |
There was certainly lots of action but one thing that bothered me was that Scoop and Scribe found a couple of the stars without too much resistance. So much was packed into this little book that it could easily have been expanded into a bigger story of about 10,000 words.
This is a good book for young readers who are still mastering reading techniques. There is a delightful colour illustration in each chapter and a glossary at the end. The glossary was vital for someone like me who doesn't know many Maori words. There were even interesting facts about how to find the constellation Matariki (The Pleiades) and some of the cultural activities undertaken by Maori people at this significant time of year. A good one for the youngsters.
No comments:
Post a Comment