Once upon a time some fairy tales came to Tūī Street and visited the people who lived there. There were some problems in the street: Jack’s mother had secrets, the creek had dried up, and Terri was being cyber-bullied, to name a few. Following a fairy-tale project at school, the children began to notice fairy-tale themes to these problems. They started to explore the difference between fact and possibility as they sought answers. Added to this was the involvement of Aotearoa’s landscape, birdlife and folklore. Luckily, facing challenges led to unexpected achievements, such as coaching a wheelchair soccer team, pacifying a wild creature from Māori folklore and re-thinking stereotypes about giants. Everyone lived happily ever after. Well, as much as can be expected when you have homework and dishes to do.

Tūī Street Tales is a collection of seven stories set in New Zealand for children aged 8–12 years. The stories explore elements of the European fairy-tale genre in a modern New Zealand context. The stories are connected by two key characters, Jack and Tim, who believe that there is a fairy-tale theme underlying the events occurring in their street. They, along with the other Tui Street kids, become involved in solving the puzzles and challenges facing them in each story.