Steph Matuku | HUIA PublishersCreating the fantastical world of Te Wheke
Te Wheke the octopus loves to collect things – but one day this gets him into trouble …
Ngā Taonga e Waru mā Te Wheke / The Eight Gifts of Te Wheke is my favourite picture book I’ve produced with HUIA.
Creative thinking
I wanted this pukapuka (book) to conjure a bustling underwater community with characters full of attitude, sass and cheekiness. Each spread is soaked in 90s nostalgia and celebrates the delight of rock pools and marine life in Aotearoa.
Creative doing
Picture books demand careful thinking across the audience, story arc, pacing and sub-plot – all of which shaped the visual direction. As design lead, I developed the brief for the characters, covers and page layouts, directed the illustrator and coordinated the project from start to finish.
Creative partners
Editors, resource developers and my design team at HUIA publishers and in collaboration with illustrator Laya Mutton-Rogers.
The outcome
Shortlisted for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children & Young Adults – Picture Book Award and Illustration Award 2022. Chosen as a Storylines Notable Book Award 2022 – Picture Book and Te Reo Māori. Sold through its initial print run.
Review
‘The story is so strong you could read it without pictures and it would still be lush and tense and creepy as hell … But the illustrations are astonishing … Another thing I love: the mum in this book is drawn big and strong and she has boobs. She looks like she gives great hugs but takes zero shit. She looks real.’
– Review by Catherine Woulfe, Books Editor, The Spinoff
Purchase this pukapuka in te reo Māori or English on the HUIA website.
