Reviewed by Angela Walker

Never work with children or animals, so the adage goes. But in the case of picture books, the rule is inverted: animals and children are the ultimate protagonists. Four recently released picture books have put this to great effect.

Pūkeko Who-keko? – by award-winning comic creator Toby Morris – celebrates wordplay, humour, and one of Aotearoa’s most recognizable native birds. The story follows Detective Clue-keko as he meets a cast of cleverly named pūkeko characters while investigating who spilled the blue paint. Children will delight in calling out the answer to his many pūkeko questions:

‘What do you call a pūkeko wearing fancy new sneakers? 

Shoe-keko. 

Or a pūkeko in a sticky situation? 

Glue-keko.

What do you call a pūkeko who thinks they’re a cow? 

Moo-keko.’ 

And so it goes on. Sometimes the cleverest ideas are the simplest ones. With each turn of the page the answers get ever-more imaginative, building on each other. Eventually we even discover what you call ‘pūkeko babies who are blowing little instruments, owe you money, fell into a bowl of melted cheese and are still making a giant racket.’  (You’ll have to acquire the book to find out.)

The playful language makes reading this book aloud a lively and engaging experience. Vibrant illustrations bring the array of pūkekos to life and provide additional clues that reward observation. Pūkeko Who-keko? is an interactive picture book likely to be on high repeat and even inspire new ‘keko’ inventions long after the final page has been turned. Wahoo-keko!

*

Inspired by the iconic dragon at the Auckland Zoo, Cedric the dragon stars in the picture book The Dragon at the Zoo written by Melanie Koster and illustrated by Craig Phillips.

Cedric is the most spectacular dragon Tig has ever known. But when thoughtless animals insist Cedric isn’t a real dragon, he and Tig regretfully set off, soaring over the Sky Tower, swooping under the Harbour Bridge and snaking far away into the emerald hills, leaving the zoo in chaos. It takes a murmuration of birds who morph into the shape of a magnificent dragon to bring Cedric home, much to the relief of the contrite zoo animals.

Each word has been artfully chosen in the telling of Cedric’s story, one that explores belonging, imagination, and real feelings. Heart-stirring illustrations convey the story’s emotional depth.

The Dragon at the Zoo is a companion book to Elephant Park – Koster’s ode to the elephant slide at Bishopdale Park in Christchurch. Her new story is bound to add to the excitement of visiting Cedric at the Auckland Zoo or spying the Sky Tower and Harbour Bridge while out and about, keeping children engaged both on and off the page.

*

Finding a wētā in your gumboot is a rite of passage for generations of Kiwi kids. The bilingual picture book Koro Wētā by Heather Haylock turns this all-too-familiar experience into an entertaining tale. 

Following a series of failed attempts to remove a tenacious wētā from a young girl’s gumboots, the family eventually find creative ways to share their space: a purpose-built wētā hotel and see-through gumboots. With evocative illustrations by Sarah Trolle, the story teaches kids about conservation and coexistence, and includes a final page of fascinating educational insights. (We even discover wētā are like insect violins - making chirping sounds by rubbing their legs across ridged abdomens.)

Translated by Ngairo Eruera, children can experience te reo Māori and English on the same page, and will no doubt enjoy repeating the many onomatopoeias found throughout the book: thunk/pakō, thump/pakū, whack/pakē, whump/pohū… 

*

Ruth Paul’s latest picture book The Farmer’s Pyjamas is filled with humour and lively rhymes. 

The celebrated children’s author and illustrator brings us the story of a hardworking farmer who finishes off her daily chores and prepares for a good night’s sleep, only to discover her favourite pyjamas are missing. Without the ‘pyjamas that feel so right’, the farmer doesn’t get a wink of sleep. 

Confusion and chaos descend on the farm as the sleep-deprived farmer milks the horse and puts the sheep in the sty. Determined to restore order, the farm animals set out to solve the mystery of the missing pyjamas. 

While parents may relate to the farmer’s growing exhaustion, children will enjoy going on a pyjama hunt, searching for clues alongside the animals, and speculating where the pyjamas have gone. Paul's artwork captures the personality of each animal and adds extra layers of humour to the engaging story.

*

There’s nothing quite like snuggling up and enjoying tales of furry friends. Each of these animal-themed New Zealand picture books would be worthy additions to the home or class library.