New Zealand has a rich and ancient tradition of story telling. 15 myths and legends are retold in this book by operatic soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, herself a Maori. These are her own versions of tales she remembers from childhood, including stories of creation, heroic battles and perilous journeys into the Maori spirit world. The illustrations which accompany this book were painted on location in New Zealand by Michael Foreman, who has also illustrated Peter Pan for Pavillion Books, and The Curse of the Vampire's Socks in collaboration with Terry Jones.