Beddy-Bye Time in the Kōwhai Tree

Be prepared to be whisked away into a cozy world of getting ready for bed. The shining moon sets the scene for the bedtime routine, there is a bath, pjs, teeth brushing and even a bedtime wee! As we follow along this routine in rhyming verse, we are counting too: kererū, taniwha, kea, pūrerehua (moths) and of course the quintessential night time counting creature - hipi (sheep).

There is a wonderful mix of English and Te Reo Māori, with Te Reo first and then the English revealed on the next page, 'How many hipi can you see?...' 'A thousand sheep, from near and far,'.

Uivel does an amazing job of creating emotion, movement and atmosphere with the illustrations. You can almost feel the warm glow of the fire and bedside lamp, light and shadows have been captured perfectly. There are so many little details which young readers will be able to spot and count, from keas on the pjs, taniwha hidden on most pages and even a sprig of a kōwhai flowers on the bedside table. Every time I flicked through the pages I noticed more details.

A lovely bedtime tale with a distinctive 'kiwi' feel that introduces some less common Te Reo words. I can see this being a firm favourite, not just for bedtime!