The Kiwi and the Kea

Will life under the podocarps ever be the same? What happens when a kiwi from a respectable family teams up with a flock of keas- those rascally birds famous for petty larceny and vandalism? Tamariki Kiwi is an indifferent scholar who flees from his classroom and his home to pursue an impossible dream. He meets the mischievious Ruffles Kea who introduces him to a world of possibility. Ruffles and his friends help Tama to achieve his aspiration but, in doing so, the kiwi learns to endure hardship, embarrassment, terror and loneliness. His vindication comes when he has to choose between his new-found skill and his family. In this delightful tale that includes truancy, delinquency, adventure, kidnapping and rescue, the author portrays an animal world that is not so different from our own.