List $32.00

Written by Witi Ihimaera - Performed by Jay Laga'aia - Unabridged Fiction - 4 LIBRARY EDITION COMPACT DISCS - 3 hours, 40 minutes

Publisher, Bolinda Audio (April 2005)

NOTE: LIBRARY EDITIONS are packaged in a sturdy, durable outer vinyl case that stands up to years of repeated use designed for library and rental circulation. Albums are shelvable, space-efficient, with at-a-glance spine titles.

Listen to an MP3 audio clip.

Recommended for Age 13+

The movie of The Whale Rider was released internationally in 2003. The whale rider was Kahutia Te Rangi. Ancestor of the people of Te Tai Rawhiti, he traveled from Hawaiki, the place of the Ancients, to the East Coat of New Zealand. Then there was Kahu. The first great-grandchild of the whanau, she was loved by all her relatives except the one whose love she needed most — her great-grandfather. Moving effortlessly between mythology and realism, pathos and comedy, The Whale Rider will delight readers of all ages. Since its publication in 1987, The Whale Rider has been reprinted numerous times and has become one of Witi Ihimaera’s best-loved books.

About the Author: Witi Ihimaera was born in Gisborne, New Zealand and now lives in Auckland. He has had a varied life as a labourer, postman, journalist, diplomat and university lecturer. His first book, Pounamu, Pounamu was published in 1972 and won the Freda Buckland Prize for best first book by a new writer. He is a three-time winner of New Zealand’s most prestigious literary prize, the Wattie Book of the Year Award. In 1994 he was awarded the Katherine Mansfield Fellowship and spent a year in Menton, France.

About the Performer: Jay Laga’aia was born in Auckland, New Zealand and is one of Australasia’s most accomplished actors. His television credits include Water Rats, Starstruck, Surprise Surprise and Play School. He has appeared in the films Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and Star Wars Episodes II and III. Jay also has numerous theatre credits including Jesus Christ Superstar, West Side Story, The New Rocky Horror Show and The Lion King.