Books published by Te Papa Press

An appealing board book that develops Samoan language knowledge

This illustrated history tells the amazing story of Pacific people and their relationships with, and contributions to, New Zealand society. In a great feat of exploration and migration, Pacific Islanders became the first people to step foot on these shores some 800 years ago. Tod...ay, New Zealand is home to the largest population of Pacific Islanders anywhere in the world, and New Zealand has a long history with the other islands of the Pacific, their people and their cultures. Yet how many New Zealanders consider themselves Pacific Islanders, despite this shared geography and past? How many know the amazing history of New Zealands Pacific people? Tangata o le Moana is the first book to present that history. It tells the stories of Pacific people past and present, in all areas of life on the street, on the sports field, in the recording studio, on the political stage, and beyond. There are highs, and there are lows from the dawn raids of the 1970s to Tana Umaga becoming first Samoan captain of the All Blacks. And alongside tales of legendary figures like Kupe and historical figures like the navigator priest Tupaia, there are previously untold stories, too like the first-person accounts of Pacific people who visited and settled here in the 1800s, at a time when New Zealands leaders dreamed of creating their own empire in the Pacific, or the Pacific Islands soldiers who fought and died for New Zealand in the two world wars. Across fifteen chapters written by leading historians and writers, every aspect of New Zealands relationship with Pacific people is covered from migration to tourism, economics to politics, sport to the arts. Drawing on diverse sources and handsomely illustrated with specially commissioned maps, historical and contemporary photos, archival documents and images of evocative museum objects, Tangata o le Moana presents a very colourful, deeply human record of the story of New Zealand as a Pacific place
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The colossal squid has been the most popular exhibit at Te Papa since it arrived there in 2007. Now this appealing book for young readers tells the fascinating story of these creatures from the deep, through sparkling and informative text and amazing illustrations. A must-have na...tural history book for young readers and their whanau and teachers.
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New Zealand board book, featuring highly recognisable popular images of objects and artworks from the Te Papa collection. For babies and toddlers (ages 0-3)

JOIN MAUI AS HE SHARES STORIES FOR TAMARIKI BASED ON TAONGA FROM THE TE PAPA COLLECTION