'Our reo deserves its own books': Author and illustrator Mat Tait

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. His book Te Wehenga, which won the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year at the 2023 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. He also 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. 

Kete was delighted to catch up with Mat and find out more about his newest work, Kupe and the Great Octopus of Muturangi / Kupe me te Wheke Nui a Muturangi.

Author image credit: Nina van der Voorn

Kia ora, Mat. What sparked the idea of doing a picture book about Kupe’s voyage to Aotearoa?

A few years ago I did some work for the Nelson Council illustrating a version of the pūrākau on an information board at Ngawhatu Reserve. At the time I thought it could make a good book, and so when Allen & Unwin asked me if I wanted to do something new, the story leapt to mind.

Your book is published in two editions, English and Te Reo, why was it important for you to have two editions?

I teach te reo under the Te Ataarangi kaupapa which is a spoken immersion method, and my reasoning was that having two separate editions would be the written equivalent of that for learners. But more than that, there are still too few books being written and published first and foremost in Māori, and our reo deserves its own books and its own editions, so doing it this way is a way of honouring the language, its resilience, and ongoing health.

The illustrations are stunning. Can you tell us about the process of creating the book?

Kia ora! A little while ago I worked with the tamariki of Riwaka Primary School near where I live to produce a mural about the area with one of our local taniwha, Huriawa, at its centre. I was really inspired by the flexible and uninhibited way they approached colour and perspective, and so I thought I would take a similar approach for this book and really try and loosen up some of the preconceptions built up over a lifetime about how my work should look and how it should convey information. Ngā mihi e ngā tamariki o Riwaka Kura!

What was your favourite part about creating Kupe and the Great Octopus of Muturangi Kupe me te Wheke nui a Muturangi?

My favourite part is always beginning the final drawings and layouts for each page after what is usually a very lengthy period of preparation writing multiple drafts and drawing rough sketches. That stage always feels like finally everything you've imagined might actually be coming together, and most excitingly it often comes together in unexpected ways.

What makes you excited about writing books for children?

When I was little and trying to figure out my world from the child's vantage point that I had, books could absorb me and change my perception in ways that felt momentous and thrilling. If a book I've done can inspire something like that in any child, then I think that's pretty exciting.

What else is in the pipeline for you in 2026?
Some animation, some board game design, and thinking about the next book and what it might look like (there are some ideas!)

Kupe & The Great Octopus of Muturangi and Kupe me te Wheke Nui a Muturangi by Mat Tait, published by Allen and Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand, RRP $29.99. In bookstores 24 March.