The Whale Rider
by Witi Ihimaera

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Book Reviews of The Whale Rider

Book Review: The Maori and Whales
Summary: 5 Stars

Second, on the theme of women's supposed inferiority to men, see pg 82 where the author writes "'No, you sit down! I am a senior line to yours!' Not only that, but Mihi had then turned her back to him, bent over, lifted up her petticoats, and said, 'Anyway, here is the place where you come from!' That was Mihi's way of reminding the chief that all men are born of women."

Third, in one of the very few diadactic paragraphs pg 116 "'But then,' he continued.'man assumed a cloak of arrogance and set himself up above the Gods. He even tried to defeat Death, but failed. As he grew in his arrogance, he started to drive a wedge through the original oneness of the world. In the passing of Time he divided that world into that half he could believe in and that half he could not believe in. The real and the unreal. The natural and the supernatural. The present and the past. The scientific and the fantastic. He put a barrier between both worlds, and everything on his side was called rational and everything on the other side was call irrational. Belief in our Maori Gods.' he emphasized, 'has often been considered irrational.'" I think this is the author's way of explicitly outlining his theme of the book, his desire is that no one misses the point so he introduces it via this speech. This is the take home message of the book, we'd do well to read the whole book in the light of this short speech Koro Apirana.

The book, like the movie is a tear-jerker. The book would make a nice read outloud to younger kids, it's intended audience.

Summary of The Whale Rider

Multigenerational Books

• Books > Subjects > Children's Books > Social Situations > Family Life
• Literature & Fiction
• Science, Nature & How It Works > Nature
• Explore the World > Australia & Oceania
• Multicultural Stories