How well do you know your books of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa? Here’s a classic Sapling multiple-choice quiz to get you scratching your heads and inevitably adding to your to-read pile!
Test yourself, share with a friend, and let us know on Facebook or Twitter how you do!
1. Mophead author (and former Poet Laureate!) Selina Tusitala Marsh traces her whakapapa to Sāmoa, England, Scotland, France and…?
A. Niue
B. Tokelau
C. Tuvalu
D. Kiribati
2. Huia have published Samoan translations of several picture books – which international classic is called ‘O le Ketapila Matua Fia ‘Ai in Gagana Sāmoa?
A. Where The Wild Things Are
B. Goodnight Moon
C. The Tiger Who Came To Tea
D. The Very Hungry Caterpillar
3. In a 2016 picture book by June Allen, which Cook Island creature takes part in a special kind of race?
A. Octopus
B. Crabs
C. Cuttlefish
D. Sharks
4. David Riley’s Pacific Heroes books almost all have ‘Heroes’ in the title – but the first one didn’t! What island country kicked the series off and has a different style title?
A. Cook Islands
B. Tonga
C. Niue
D. Tokelau
5. Young readers got to know Tupaia through Courtney Sina Meredith and Mat Tait’s fabulous 2019 book – but which island in Tōtaiete Mā/the Society Islands did the navigator and arioi come from?
A. Mo’orea
B. Tahiti
C. Huahine
D. Ra’iātea
6. Who are the main characters in Lani Wendt Young’s Telesā series?
A. Lālelei and Dean
B. Leah and David
C. Lili and Damien
D. Leila and Daniel
7. Many high schoolers in Aotearoa have studied and read Lloyd Jones’ Mister Pip since it came out in 2006 – but on which Melanesian island is the book set?
A. Guadalcanal
B. Bougainville
C. New Britain
D. Pentecost
8. Lisala Halapua has written several picture books retelling Tongan fables. Which critter has co-starred with an octopus in one of his books and an ant in another?
A. A spider
B. A whale
C. A mouse
D. A lizard
9. Which of the following is NOT a language that Jahri Jah Jah has covered in his Counting series (at least not yet!)?
A. Tahitian
B. Tokelauan
C. Cook Islands Māori
D. Niuean
10. What year did Dawn Raid by Pauline (Vaeluaga) Smith win the Best First Book Award at the NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults?
A. 2019
B. 2018
C. 2017
D. 2016
Answers
1. C. Tuvalu
2. D. The Very Hungry Caterpillar
3. B. Crabs
4. C. Niue (it’s called We Are The Rock!)
5. D. Ra’iātea
6. D. Leila and Daniel
7. B. Bougainville
8. C. A mouse
9. A. Tahitian
10. B. 2018