There are No Moa, e hoa

This is a sweet story focusing on three friends: Kiwi, Bat and Tuatara, which also includes humour and mystery.

Tuatara believes that there is a moa in the forest, but Bat and Kiwi keep explaining away each piece of evidence offered by Tuatara, with the repeated refrain “There are no Moa, e hoa.”

Kiwi and Bat, flying together as BatKiwi, are constantly trying to rescue Tuatara because of his cries for help. Their efforts to calm him down, by dismissing his belief that a moa exists, actually make Tuatara feel more isolated than ever and in need of “a friend, someone who believes in me”.

Not only does this book include interesting details of our natural world that could be discussed with readers, but also important themes of friendship and belief. The dark pallet used for the illustrations, as it is night when these creatures are out and about, is surprisingly vibrant.

The subtle humour in the text is echoed in the illustrations. The back view of BatKiwi sailing through the air is particularly amusing.