Description
Originally published in 2011, this is a new, trilingual edition of the charming story of Whetu, the endangered blue duck who saves a young woman lost in the bush who then in turn saves Whetu’s habitat.
Reviews
Herald on Sunday ~ The name Jennifer Beck guarantees a good story. In this one drama, adventure and conservation issues are rolled up into a touching story about the tenacity of a little blue duck. Renee Haggo provides beautifully dappled watercolour illustrations.
Booksellers NZ ~ “The tale of a very plucky duck. Despite facing many dangers, Whetu has survived. He even helps a stranger lost in the mountains. But when his habitat is threatened, who will help save him? A beautifully illustrated story based on our endangered native Blue Duck.
Jennifer Beck is one of New Zealand’s most successful authors with numerous books to her credit. A number of her books have won New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards, including The Bantam and the Soldier and Nobody’s Dog.
Renee Haggo is a graduate of AUT University in Auckland where she majored in graphic design. Previously she illustrated Maurice Shadbolt’s The Mountain Who Wanted To Live in a House.”
The School Library, NZ Book Council ~ “The little blue duck has a life fraught with danger, from losing his siblings when the other eggs are washed away to evading the stealthy stoat. His parents teach him how to survive until it is time for him to go out on his own. He makes his home on a river in the mountains, where he becomes a hero when his call saves a lost climber. The climber gives him his name – Whetu – and campaigns to stop mining on the river so that Whetu can find a mate and have a family of his own. The delicately layered watercolour illustrations are full of character. A little gem. Ages 4–8.”
Kiwi author Jennifer Beck
A former teacher and psychologist, Jennifer Beck is an Auckland-based children’s writer with over 50 books to her name.