Brave Kāhu & The Pōrangi Magpie

There are two main plots in Brave Kāhu & The Pōrangi Magpie. Poto (a kāhu, or harrier hawk), her siblings, and their friends are trying to make their way to safety before a foretold earthquake damages the dam wall further upstream and floods the valley. At the same time, Tū and her team of magpies are at war against Poto and friends and trying to take over the valley. I’m not sure that both these stories needed to be in the one book, trying to get out before the flood is adventure enough without adding the magpie conflict. The magpie war also adds a level of violence that makes the story inappropriate for younger readers who would have really enjoyed it otherwise. That being said, the author has done a good job at giving distinct personalities to the different birds and animals that Poto and friends meet along their journey.

I really liked the use of te reo Māori throughout the book, all animal and plant species in the book are referred to by their Māori name, and there is a comprehensive glossary in the back of the book to help with any new words that readers are unfamiliar with.

Another point of interest is that Poto’s younger brother, Ari, is autistic (the book refers to him as takiwātanga) and has a special interest in seashells.

Reading notes and teaching resources are available to download from the publisher's website.

This book was more violent than I expected, and for that reason I disagree with the publisher’s age recommendation of 7-12 years. Kāhu and her sister find their mother’s bloodied body after she is attacked and killed by magpies. There is a lot of fighting (Kāhu and her whānau fight magpies, rats, cats, and stoats) and blood that may deter younger readers, especially those who are looking for a gentle story about birds (as suggested by the cover illustration).

This book would work as a read aloud, depending on the family situations within your class. I would not recommend it if you have students who have recently lost loved ones as the grief depicted may hit too close to home for them.