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Whale Rider,The Paperback – International Edition, January 24, 2012

by Ihimaera Witi (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 918 ratings
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Witi Ihimaera's timeless story tells how the courage of one girl in standing against the tide of tradition enables her tribe to become reconnected with their ancestral life force. The Whale Rider has become one of Witi Ihimaera's best-loved stories, capturing readers with its universal themes of conflict between generations and genders, respect for nature, family love and personal courage. Now the movie adaptation, Whale Rider, has brought the story to an international audience.
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  1. Print length
    182 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin New Zealand
  4. Publication date
    January 24, 2012
  5. Dimensions
    5.16 x 0.55 x 7.76 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0143011391
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0143011392
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin New Zealand (January 24, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 182 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0143011391
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0143011392
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.5 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.16 x 0.55 x 7.76 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 918 ratings

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Witi Tame Ihimaera

Witi Tame Ihimaera

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
918 global ratings
You've got to read this book!
5 Stars
You've got to read this book!
The Whale Rider is definitely in my top ten list of all-time favorite books. I absolutely adore everything about it, and really do think there’s something everyone can relate to in this story. If you’ve ever felt discriminated against because of your gender, this is the book for you. If you feel like you’re losing your cultural identity in the informational age, this is the book for you. If you’ve tasted the sting of racism, this is the book for you. If you come from a dysfunctional family, or know what it’s like to love someone who doesn’t love you back, this is the book for you.Or if you’re like me, and felt like you could relate to most if not all of these topics, then you really need to read this! I felt like I could relate to the narrator, Rawiri, as he travels throughout the world to find himself. I love his relationship with Kahu, and how he and Nanny Flowers try so hard to fill the gap her negligent grandfather has left in her life. And of course Kahu’s unfailing tenacity makes her a protagonist you really want to cheer for.
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Top reviews from the United States

E A Fow
5.0 out of 5 stars Penetrating and Beautiful
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2013
Verified Purchase
Many people have seen the beautiful movie Whale Rider, but like most of them, I hadn't had a chance to read Witi Ihimaera's stunning book. I've loved Ihimaera's writing for decades now, and the smooth, lyrical story telling of his young adult novel is more proof of his mastery. Starting with the ancestor tale of an East Coast iwi, then moving forward to modern day members of the same group which is disintegrating in post-colonial New Zealand, the novel takes the voice of the Uncle, not Pai, and this unexpected perspective gives the author a lot of room to explore and evoke. I recommend this book highly to anyone wanting to read a moving novel, or to learn about Maori culture, but also to anyone interested in post-colonial indigenous writing. The underlying themes are universal and both distressing and uplifting. The book is also a lengthy exploration of changing gender roles, and questioning the roles of women in an indigenous culture is really important but often difficult. Ihimaera doesn't shy away from big questions, and it is a gift to all of us. On top of all of that, it's just a really beautiful novel, and one I'll reread often.
8 people found this helpful
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Daniel Gamboa
4.0 out of 5 stars "Join everything together, bind it together, let it be done"
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2015
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The Whangara people, a Maori tribe in New Zealand, is traditionally guided by a man. Nevertheless, this tradition is threatened when Koro's first-born great grandchild, Kahu, is a girl. Koro, leader of the tribe, is crushed by this fact, and repudiates the devoted love of Kahu and refuses to see the signs that shows she is the one.

I watched the film adaptation when it came out in 2002, and I loved it. I even own the soundtrack of the film by Lisa Gerrard, which I listen now and then. After 15 years since the movie came out, I decided to read the book. I had had my doubts beforehand because some reviewers claimed that this was one of those cases where the film was better than the book, but I can honestly say that the book is worth reading. The film is visually and musically spellbinding, but the book provides the necessary background to fully appreciate the myth and legend behind it.

Rawiri, the uncle, is the narrator of the story, to the point that the book seems to be about both Kahu (Paikea in the film) and Rawiri himself. Kahu's dad plays a secondary role in the book, while in the film he is an important character. There is even a chapter about Rawiri in Australia and Papua New Guinea, which was very intesting, but made me wonder why the book had taken that direction and why the story of Kahu had taken a sudden break.

I would say the book is split in three parts. The slow beginning, where we read about Kahu's birth and her grandfather's reluctance to see "the signs". The interesting middle part, where we read about Maori people in Australia and Rawiri in Papua New Guinea. Finally, the passionate last chapters, where Kahu shows why she is "the one".

This is my second book by Witi Ihimaera, and it will not be my last one.
7 people found this helpful
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5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2021
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Loved the movie so I had to read the book. Doesn't disappoint and it's interesting hearing the tale through her uncle's point of view
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KTS Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars You've got to read this book!
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2019
Verified Purchase
The Whale Rider is definitely in my top ten list of all-time favorite books. I absolutely adore everything about it, and really do think there’s something everyone can relate to in this story. If you’ve ever felt discriminated against because of your gender, this is the book for you. If you feel like you’re losing your cultural identity in the informational age, this is the book for you. If you’ve tasted the sting of racism, this is the book for you. If you come from a dysfunctional family, or know what it’s like to love someone who doesn’t love you back, this is the book for you.

Or if you’re like me, and felt like you could relate to most if not all of these topics, then you really need to read this! I felt like I could relate to the narrator, Rawiri, as he travels throughout the world to find himself. I love his relationship with Kahu, and how he and Nanny Flowers try so hard to fill the gap her negligent grandfather has left in her life. And of course Kahu’s unfailing tenacity makes her a protagonist you really want to cheer for.
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KTS Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars You've got to read this book!
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2019
The Whale Rider is definitely in my top ten list of all-time favorite books. I absolutely adore everything about it, and really do think there’s something everyone can relate to in this story. If you’ve ever felt discriminated against because of your gender, this is the book for you. If you feel like you’re losing your cultural identity in the informational age, this is the book for you. If you’ve tasted the sting of racism, this is the book for you. If you come from a dysfunctional family, or know what it’s like to love someone who doesn’t love you back, this is the book for you.

Or if you’re like me, and felt like you could relate to most if not all of these topics, then you really need to read this! I felt like I could relate to the narrator, Rawiri, as he travels throughout the world to find himself. I love his relationship with Kahu, and how he and Nanny Flowers try so hard to fill the gap her negligent grandfather has left in her life. And of course Kahu’s unfailing tenacity makes her a protagonist you really want to cheer for.
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4 people found this helpful
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NYC Lap Swimmer
5.0 out of 5 stars Poetic, For Adults and Teens
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2014
Verified Purchase
This is a beautifully written tale of a young girl destined to save her Maori community from disintegration; told from the point of view of her cousin who gradually comes to understand how special she really is, it is both a cautionary tale of gender bias in traditional communities and a story about the conflict between tradition and modernity. Teens will enjoy it, although it will often send them to the dictionary and to the book's helpful glossary. This is that rare book which can be enjoyed by adults and young people as well--but is especially wonderful as a gift for a girl since girl heroes are so rare. It is the sort of story which can also be read TO children. A must for anyone who loved Niki Caro's movie, but also for readers who like to learn about aboriginal communities. While "The Whale Rider" is fiction, it is suffused with Maori legend and lore. Strong female characters also include Paikea's grandmother. At the end, the writer thoughtfully includes the Maori legend in its original form.
4 people found this helpful
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B. Kent Harrison
4.0 out of 5 stars Maori girl succeeds
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2017
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This is an interesting novel that is suitable for both children and adults. I enjoyed reading it very much. It portrays Maori culture accurately. That is a strength and a bit of a weakness; if one is not attuned to that culture, one can be a little lost. The book is like much in contemporary life in that it depicts a girl who succeeds against odds. I recommend it to anyone.
One person found this helpful
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Kristin
5.0 out of 5 stars Kahu’s journey
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2019
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This was a truly stunning piece of writing. An uncle tells the tale of Tahu with her relentless spirit and destiny to lead her people. It includes mythology and Maori language and many parts are told from the whale’s perspective- whales that remember nuclear testing and who navigate dangerous, changing waters and relationships with man. The descriptions of the sea and underwater landscapes, the southern lights and the habits and sounds of the whales bring the place vividly to life. All along we know that this girl is the real embodiment of the ancestral Paikea- the first whale rider... she just needs to convince her grandfather.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Jasmine Clark
5.0 out of 5 stars Like new
Reviewed in Canada on November 15, 2023
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On time. Great condition. My favorite story. Native poetry. Second time reading it. Its a movie too. Read the book first :)
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Shopper2013
5.0 out of 5 stars A breath of fresh air
Reviewed in India on October 19, 2018
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Exciting and kind. A book for the soul.
One person found this helpful
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Beetham Valerie
5.0 out of 5 stars Poetic and emotional
Reviewed in France on June 15, 2017
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Beautiful legend of natural wonders brought back to the modern reality of New Zealand. I liked the simple, strong, effective, musical writing.
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StefanieFrei
5.0 out of 5 stars Let it be done!
Reviewed in Germany on February 12, 2017
Verified Purchase
An unexpected gem with a unique combination of cultural background on Maori-tradition, (Maori) myth, modern fairy tale and many more is what „The Whale Rider“ turned out to be for me. There was not much I had knowingly perceived about New Zealand, so when a book club challenge came along to read such a small book of only 144 pages – what might I lose? And that decision was made despite some profound aversion of mine to anything getting even close to „fantasy fiction“.

The story does include lots of myth along with lots of mythological elements which I rather really liked – I can go with myth, to me that has nothing to do with fantasy, I just mention as some readers might have different „no-go areas“. And 144 pages turned out to be no small task to read in this context – simply because the whole story is so rich I felt compelled to stop reading many times, literally stand back and consider. No wonder the book is often read at schools given the broad variety of tasks for interpretation on various levels. Still, even for the grown-up reader, those tasks come easily, rather force themselves upon you while reading: the story is about gender and family roles, traditions vs. modern life; cultural differences, clashes, prejudice and expectations; personal integrity and roots; family, society and individuals. The language is rich, but not hard to decipher like when the mythological founder Kahutia throws his spears which represent his live-giving sources or the heart-wrenching comment that „Under these conditions, the love which Kahu received from [her grandfather] Koro Apirana was the sort that dropped off the edge of the table, like breadcrumbs after everybody else has had a big meal.“ P 36f.

There is a constant change between first-person narrator – little Kahu’s uncle telling her story – and the third person usage for the portions of myth and about the whales which, again, demands for consideration about parallels and symbols in a very tantalising way. Author Witi Ihimaera uses Maori language in abundance – the translation follows in the next sentence (I had not been sure at first, so I checked some phrases). This and the proper names force the non-Maori experienced reader to both plunge into the culture and keeps the concentration high to not get lost – so in a whole, I ended up having been given the rare experience of interpreting myself through the text without that back-to-school feeling of having been forced to do it, the immersion comes rather natural. Go with the waves! Let it be done!
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ROSALOVE
5.0 out of 5 stars bellissimo libro
Reviewed in Italy on August 23, 2013
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Il libro tratta la storia di un villaggio Maori che a causa della perdita dei valori tradizionali dovuta alla forte insistenza e arroganza dei valori occidentali del colonizzatore, vede come segno nefasto la morte di oltre 200 balene sulla spiaggia del villaggio. una bambina che sfida l'ordine omofobo e della linea di sangue maschile, riuscirà a mettere in salvo il suo popolo... da leggere. una bella favola moderna e antica.
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