Tahi, One Lucky Kiwi

Written by Melanie Drewery
Designed and Illustrated by John O’Reilly and Ali Teo
Published by Random House
ISBN: 978-1-86941-930-1

NZC activities for this picture book here

This is the true story of Tahi the kiwi, who needed to have a leg amputated after getting caught in a spring jaw trap. It tells how the people at Weta Workshop built an artificial leg for him, so that he could live effectively as a kiwi and be able to forage for food. The main text in the book tells the story through the voice of a young boy sharing news with his classmates and teacher. The book ends with the class visiting the kiwi at the zoo. In addition to this main text, there is a sub-text, in notebook form, which provides the reader with facts about the kiwi and its protection. There is a strong conservation theme throughout the book, reminding the reader that we need to protect our endangered native birds. Illustrations are presented in a variety of ways – a combination of cartoon, painting and photographs help to make the story attractive and interesting for the reader.

Summary written by Marion McKoy

Book cover used with permission of publisher