Kupe and the Great Octopus of Muturangi

Kupe’s voyage to Aotearoa, told and illustrated by award-winning author Mat Tait.

Kupe’s voyage to Aotearoa!

Kupe found that a huge, fearsome wheke (octopus) was taking all the fish in the ocean and the people of Hawaiki had nothing to eat.

So Kupe chased that wheke across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa (the Pacific Ocean).

Finally Hine-te-Aparangi, Kupe’s wife, saw land and a long white cloud: Aotearoa!

Find out what happened when the wheke and Kupe had a massive battle . . .

About the Author

Mat Tait is a South Island-based illustrator of European and Māori descent. He gained a BFA in painting from Ilam School of Arts and now lives and works in the Motueka area.

He’s the author of Te Wehenga, which won the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year at the 2023 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. He illustrated The Adventures of Tupaia, written by Courtney Sina Meredith, for which he was the recipient of the Russell Clark Award for Illustration at the 2020 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.

His comics work has been published widely both locally and internationally, including The Heading Dog Who Split In Half with writer Dr Michael Brown.

Mat is a fluent speaker of te reo Māori. He tutors under the kaupapa of Te Ataarangi, and continues to learn.

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Description

Publisher
Allen & Unwin NZ Aotearoa 

Extent
36pp

Format
300 x 235mm (portrait)

Binding
Hardback

Category
Children’s

Genre
Picture Book

Age Range
4 to 10

Publication Date
March 2026

Rights Available:
World ex Australia and NZ

Rights Agents:

Carey Schroeter
careys@allenandunwin.com

Contact Allen & Unwin NZ about this book

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