Tasi’s Gift: A Tale of Samoa is an illustrated book that brings a little bit of Samoan culture and landscape to the rest of the world. The story begins with Grandfather Tasi. He is a bowl maker in Samoa, the most famous bowl maker on the island. His granddaughter Tuala comes to visit him. Tasi must make a bowl to welcome a chief, the largest he has ever made, and Tuala helps him. Tasi and Tuala search the forest to find the perfect ifilele tree and then carve it into a bowl. After the bowl is buried for a month to give it a dark color, Tasi is upset because he feels that his bowl is too plain for the important ceremony. They leave it for a night on the beach and when they return for the bowl, it has been beautifully carved for the chief. The story teaches the readers about traditional Samoan culture and lessons like respect for nature and the importance of responsibility.
The book was written by Tamara Montgomery and Jodi Parry Belknap and illustrated by Joseph P.
Dodd. In 2007, they started their own company called Calabash Books. They have written many children’s books together, and all of their work focuses on the people and cultures of the Pacific Rim. Some of their books have even received awards. For example, When the Cassowary Pooped, A Tale of New Guinea, received an award for Excellence in Children’s Illustrative or Photographic Literature in 2008. Their books are known for bringing beautiful stories that represent a nation’s culture and amazing illustrations that show native animals to kids all over the world.
Tasi’s Gift was also adapted for the stage by Aito Simpson-Steele and Jamie Simpson-Steele and
has been performed at The Honolulu Theatre for Youth. The performance is very interactive for
the audience. Just as Tuala is invited to help her grandfather complete a bowl, the audience is
invited to help complete the story and learn along the way. Audience members are taught some of the basic beats and are invited to participate in getting the ceremony for which the bowl has been prepared started. Like the book, the play teaches about traditional Samoan culture, but it also adds traditional Samoan music and dancing.
