“Everything changes, tamariki mā,” says Grandma.
“But the stars will always guide us.”
Sam and Te Rerehua adore Te Mata Hāpuku, its wild winds, stony shores, and the treasures the waves push onto the beach. But this Matariki feels different. Pōua is gone and the children miss him deeply. As they wait
for the rising of the star cluster, Grandma teaches them about two caring whetū: Pōhutukawa, who watches over loved ones who have died, and Hiwa-i-te-rangi, the star of hopes and wishes.
When a group of mischievous patupaiarehe try to pull Pōhutukawa from the sky to bring Pōua back, Sam, Te Rerehua and Grandma must remind them why the stars must stay where they belong—guiding us, caring for us, and holding our memories in the night sky.