The Whale Rider has been a worldwide bestseller, and is the most-translated work by a New Zealand author.[7] In 1995 it was translated into Māori by Tīmoti Kāretu, as Te kaieke tohorā.[8] In 2006 a picture book version illustrated by Bruce Potter was listed as one of the Storylines Children's Literature Foundation of New Zealand Notable Books List.[9][10]
In 2022, The Whale Rider was included on the Big Jubilee Read, a list of 70 books by Commonwealth authors produced to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee.[11][12]
