Wonderful tale of a young girl and her Maori heritage. Entwinded with ancients Maori tales of gods and men. Quick read. Endearing, and good read for all girls.

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Oh wow! This was such a short book, but I loved it. I read it in one sitting. It's about a girl who adores her great-grandfather who shuns her because being the first born great-grandchild she should have been a boy. It has lots of folklore, hope, destiny, love, and comedy. Definitely one of my new all time favorites!! I have never seen the movie based on this book, but now I want to. It won awards, so if it's as good as the book, I can see why!

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A beautiful story by a talented writer. It's so charming yet has some very real messages. Man over-fishes his seas and out of his greed changes the balance in nature, particularly in this case with regard to whales. Many men choose to kill those who beach themselves rather than trying to turn them back into the sea to save them.

I found Kahu an enchanting heroine who adores her grandfather, Koro. Koro was so disappointed that his first grandchild was a daughter. Only a son, he believes, can inherit the Maori legacy of communicating with whales. Of course, the story challenges this belief as Kahu proves to be an out standing young woman in every way. She leads her class scholastically and focuses on learning the Maori language. Of course, there is more but I have probably already revealed too much. Read it and enjoy it or listen to the audio. Those who have seen the movies love that as well.

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While the writing in this book is somewhat lacking in description (a first or only book perhaps?), it tells an excellent story. Only because the book is staged in New Zealand, a country I know nothing about, I found I wanted more description. It's a short book, but long on story!

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