Tu Meke Tuatara - Hardcover

This is a stunning children’s book about a Tahi the Tuatara and Roger the Ruru. It is a clever, rhyming story of friendship, kindness and the discovery that often helping someone else can also help us feel good.  Tahi is sad and Roger tries all sorts of things to cheer him up, but in the end it is Tahi helping his friend Pepe penguin that brightens his day. Nice!

As you read through the book, can you find these forest friends? Tahi the Tuatara, Monique the Monarch Butterfly, Katie the Kahukura Butterfly, Keri the Kotāre, Pania the Pīwakawaka and Kelly the Kererū. Alas, it's also chock full of New Zealand native plants, birds, fish and shellfish, insects, butterflies and moths. It features a cool glossary at the end with the names of them. Can you spot them all? There is a lot!! From Pūriri to Rewarewa, Kuaka to Tōrea, Kōaro to Pāpaka ura and Mōkarakara to Piriwai.

Tumeke is a New Zealand Māori word which means to startle or take fright. In recent years, tu meke (as two words) has developed as a colloquial phrase meaning ‘too much’ and is used to express excitement or being shaken up.

Written by Malcolm Clarke and illustrated by Hayley King, it is 24cm x 24cm and has 22 pages. This is the hardback version with thick hard wearing pages.