Pakupaku Pīwakawaka

This book details the threats that many introduced animals pose to our environment in Aotearoa. The Pakupaku Pīwakawaka acts as the guardian of the forest and manages to defend it from the stoats, goats, pigs, feral cats and other pests but allows two children entry because they have come to learn of the healing properties of the plants.

This book has full page colourful illustrations and an important message, but I do have some misgivings about it. I find the writing a little formulaic and simplistic. The single pīwakawaka is able to save the natural bush simply by saying “You cannot enter Tane’s forest.” Although there are some helpful suggestions on the final page as to how we could help to preserve the environment, it is a shame that they could not have been woven into the story and the children could not have taken a more active part in doing this.