A new
book that celebrates the life and disappearance of one of New Zealand’s most distinctive birds hits the bookstores
tomorrow.
12 Huia Birds uses gentle rhyme and
striking imagery to track the bird’s story, counting down from 12 birds playing
in the forest, through a steady decline caused by humans and pests, until the
last huia flies off into the sky.
Writer and animator
Julian Stokoe and illustrator Stacy Eyles originally created the story as an
app for Yoozoo Books, aiming to could teach children the huia’s story and help them understand
something of New Zealand’s delicate ecology.
The book subtly conveys an
environmental message, and is a celebration rather than a lament – for as it concludes, huia birds are
alive and well
in paintings, songs
and stories we tell.
And although it has now
vanished, the huia is by no means forgotten – witness a recent cameo appearance
in the hit film Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
12 Huia Birds comes in a lovely
hardback edition suitable for children of all ages.
With orange cheeks
and funny-shaped beaks
They were a
beautiful sight to be heard …
 |
| Author Julian Stokoe with his tribute to the huia |
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