This page has resources for a novel study of The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera. The blue box to the right is the PDF version of a PowerPoint that I created to introduce the book. I have also created a mini-dictionary to help you with some of the challenging words in this book; please contact me if you would like a copy of this.There is also a film version of this book available. The book and the film are very different. The vast majority of available online resources are for the film, not the book. Here is a link to a study guide for the film version.I strongly recommend that you do not watch the movie until you have finished reading the book.
Discussion Questions
Prologue: Chapter 1
1. Who is the narrator in this chapter?
2. What is this chapter about?
3. Do you have to understand every word in the prologue in order to understand the main idea?
4. Briefly summarize this chapter.
Spring: The Force of Destiny: Chapter 2
5. Who is the narrator of this chapter?
6. What is this chapter about?
7. Is there any vocabulary in this chapter that slowed down your reading?
8. Briefly summarize this chapter.
Spring: The Force of Destiny: Chapter 3
9. Who is the narrator of this chapter? How do you know?
10. Describe these characters:
11. Draw a family tree for these characters.
12. Briefly summarize this chapter.
Spring: The Force of Destiny Chapter 4
13. What were Nani Flowers and Koro Apirana arguing about?
14. Why did the old man disagree with the name chosen for the new born girl?
15. In this chapter, what new information have you found out about Nani Flowers?
16. Why do you think she buried the birth cord at the meeting house?
17. What does the ending of this chapter mean?
Summer: Halcyon’s Flight: Chapter 5
18. Why does Itimaera describe the old bull whale’s memory as being like a computer? Do you think this is an effective metaphor? Why or why not?
19. Why do you think the bull whale is sad?
Summer: Halcyon’s Flight: Chapter 6
1. When did Kahu’s mother die?
3. Is being an orphan is an advantage or disadvantage to becoming a leader?
4. Where did Kahu live?
5. Why wasn’t Nani Flowers upset when they took Kahu away from her?
6. Did Kahu return or visit them in this chapter?
7. How is her first meeting with her father’s family? Did she love their food?
8. What was the purpose of the meeting Koro Apirana held? Why was it just for men?
Summer: Halcyon's Flight: Chapter 7
1. What more do we learn about Kahu, Rawiri, Nani Flowers and Koro Apirana in this chapter?
2. Why do you think Kahu loves Koro so much?
3. Why doesn't Koro Aprirana love Kahu?
4. Why have the Maori people lost their connection to the sea?
5. Why does Kahu cry during the movie?
6. What is happening at the end of this chapter?
7. Why does Ihimaera end so many chapters with the Maori words “Hui e, haumi e, taiki e. Let it be done.”?
Summer: Halcyon's Flight: Chapter 8
1. What did people offer to the sea guardians?
2. What emotions are felt by the Koro Apirana when he is telling the story of his youth?
3.Why did Kahu start to cry when she was listening to her grandfather’s story?
4. What do you think the end of the chapter foreshadows?
1. The whales usually stay in this place longer. Why are they leaving early?
1. Why do you think Rawiri left Whangara?
2. What did he find in Australia?
3. What does he tell his new friend Jeff about Kahu?
4. When Rawiri's friend Jeff gets called home, Rawiri says that "sometimes love becomes a power game between the ambitions that parents have for their children and the ambitions children have for themselves." Explain this is your own words. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
5. How do you think Nani Flowers feels about Rawiri moving to Papua New Guinea?
Autumn: Season of the Sounding Whale: Chapter 11
1. What do you think about Jeff’s parents?
2. What do you think about destiny? What do you think that Rawiri means when he says that "I grew into my understanding of myself as a Maori and, I guess, was being prepared for my date with destiny."?
3. Explain the meaning of this sentence: "Our Koro was like an old whale stranded in an alien present, but that was how it was supposed to be, because he also had his role in the pattern of things, in the tides of the future."
4. Rawiri tells us that Koro Apirana is "over the moon". Why is Koro Apirana excited?
5. What three events occurred with Rawiri to convince him he should go home?
6. What did he see when he was sitting on the plane? Why do think this is important?
Autumn: Season of the Sounding Whale: Chapter 12
1. How does Rawiri feel about being home again?
2. What is Koro Apirani looking for? What does Porourangi mean when he says he is looking for "the one"?
3. Can you describe the roles of men in traditional Maori society? What about the role of women in traditional Maori society?
4. How do you think Kahu will fit into this traditional role?
5. What qualities do you see in Kahu at the school performance?
6. How do you think Kahu felt when Koro Apiriana was not there to hear her speech in the Maori language?
7. What does Kahu say is her goal in life?
Autumn: season of the Sounding Whale: Chapter 13
1. Why is Koro Apirana trying to do with the boys from the village? Why does he throw the carved stone into the sea?
2. Why does Koro Apirana cry afterwards?
3. What does Kahu do?
4. How would you describe Kahu in this chapter? Try to find at least three adjectives to describe her.
5. Who is Nani Flowers talking about when she says, "Not a word, Rawiri. Not a word about the stone or our Kahu. . . .He's not ready." What does Nani Flowers mean when she says that he's not ready?
6. What do you think is going to happen next in the story?
Winter: Whale Song, Whale Rider, Chapter 15
1. What happens In Wainui at the beginning of this chapter?
2. What do the men do to the beached whales? How did you feel about this scene? What does the narrator mean when he says that a beached whale was a gift from the sea?
3. Why does Koro Apirana think this is a bad sign?
4. Why did the Maori people and the rest of the people try so hard to save the beached whales?
5. How many whales died in Wainui?
6. Why did Nani Flowers not want to tell Kahu about the whales?
Winter: Whale Song, Whale Rider, Chapter 16
1. What happened in Whangara the night after the whales died on Wainui beach?
2. How did Koro explain to the men in the meeting house what had happened?
3. Who had to swim under the whale? Why did he do this?
Winter: Whale Song, Whale Rider: Chapter 17
1. We’ve discussed if Rawiri is a hero or not. In this chapter, he tells us, “I’m no hero.” What is a hero? Do you think Rawiri is a hero?
2. What happens to Kahu at the end of this chapter?
3. Kahu is crying and afraid. Is she a hero? Why do you think so?
Winter: Whale Song, Whale Rider: Chapter 18
1. Who is narrating this chapter? Is it believable? How much do you have to suspend your disbelief?
2. What did Koro understand at the end of this chapter?
3. Do you think this was the right time for Nani Flowers to tell Koro who found the stone? Why?
Epilogue: The Girl from the Sea , Chapter 19
1. What parallels can you see between Koro Apirana and the old bull whale? Between Nani Flowers and the old mother whale? Between Kahu and Paikea?
2. Now we are in the epilogue of the novel. In this chapter, through the memories of the old bull whale, we hear again part of the story of Paikea, the Whale Rider , that we first heard in the prologue (Chapter 1). Now that we know the story of Kahu, read chapter 1 again. Does the chapter make more sense now?
3. What does the novel say about chance and destiny?
4. Why do you think the author makes the whales anthropomorphic?
5. Why do you think the author divided the book into 6 parts: Prologue, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter and Epilogue?
Epilogue: The Girl from the Sea, Chapter 20
1. Why does Nani Flowers say, "If you lot are still here, that must mean I haven't gone to heaven."? (p. 116)
2. What happened to Kahu after she disappeared at sea?
3. What does Koro mean when he says, "I should have known she was the one."? (p. 117)
4. How would you describe Koro and Nani's relationship?
5. What do you think of the connection between the whales and the Maori people, as Ihimaera describes it at the end of this chapter?
Epilogue: The Girl from the Sea, Chapter 21
1. How does Kahu get back from the sea?
2. How does Koro Apirana change in this chapter? Why does he change?
3. Is it easy to believe what happens in this chapter?
4. What is Kahu's destiny? Do you believe that we all have a destiny?
5. What do you think is the meaning of the phrase "Let it be done"?