The dancing children

Press, 27 July 1985, Page 20

The dancing children

Watercress Tuna and the Children of Champion Street. By Patricia Grace. Illustrated by Robyn Kahukiwa. Longman Paul, 1985. $14.95 (Maori-language paperback, $5.95). (Reviewed by Pat Penrose) The picture book for young children introduces readers to New Zealand as a multicultural society. The setting of Cannon’s Creek is an actual place in Wellington known for its diverse cultural community. The tuna (or eel) is familiar in Polynesian mythology. In this story it has a magic throat. After bouncing into the home of each child, Tuna opens his throat to allow the child to take an object to be worn or used by the child. Once adorned, the children dance. Everybody dances. They dance all day and all night. The story is repetitive, which is a technique children enjoy. Children from European, Maori, Tokelauan, Cook Island Maori, and Samoan cultures are introduced. The story stays the same while the children and

the objects from the magic throat change on each page. Children I read this book to really enjoyed the story. They asked questions about the pictures, were able to predict the ends of the sentences after a couple of readings, and kept saying, “again, read it again.” They were aged two to eight years. As the reader I wished I had found the list of pronunciations at the end of the book before I began reading. These give an opportunity for pakeha readers to become familiar with the strange names. Some, of the faces in the pictures were a little stilted, but the different cultures were still able to be portrayed. The colours are bright and strong, the pictures are of New Zealand and children easily relate to “the local primary school” and “shopping centre.” The book is fun and dances along. This is the second children’s picture book that Robyn Kahukiwa and Patricia Grace have produced together.