Ghost Kiwi product reviews

The bush in Aotearoa New Zealand is a magical place. If you are on your own and are far enough into the green canopy to forget that the modern world is never too distant, it is easy to imagine that you are inside a living cloak. Just you and nature sounds and small creatures, both physical and supernatural, that call the bush their home.

This is the environment of the kiwi and the fortunate humans who are in tune with the natural world. But it is also one of the homes of the patupaiarehe, the supernatural entities who live in the forest and act as the kaitiaki of the natural world. Although on one level this story is the adventure of two children, Ruby and Spider with Surprise the Dog, it is also a narrative that explores conservation and the sacred ecological balance of the native bush.

In the course of working to foil a plot to traffic kiwi and other protected species to buyers offshore, the children need all the help they can get. Dumbdoll, rebranded to its original name of Fundoll, plays a pivotal role in preventing a wrong from being carried out. But just how much can a doll do without human intervention? And if no humans actually intervened, is it possible that the patupaiarehe might have helped out a little? This is not the only question that begs an answer. There are more!

I thought the story could have been several chapters longer. Some of the peripheral characters like Bartley and Rei could have been expanded; as the story stands, they are almost shadow people. I would like to have learned something more about them. The character that really did stand out, however, was Matua Kiwi. I loved the way he was presented as a firm but loving parent who recognised when his chick was ready to be independent of parental control.

Miss 13 read the book after I had finished it, and her feedback was positive. She liked the idea of a treehouse; it was something she had always wanted when she was younger. She also approved of the way Ruby was described as being equal physically and technically to Spider. There were no traditionally assigned gender roles in their story; sometimes one took charge, and at other times they swapped leadership positions. This was echoed in the relationship between Matua Kiwi and Rakaunui, where the male parent took responsibility for the chick until she was ready to venture out into the world alone.

The combination of the traditional and the modern made this story a fulfilling and very interesting read. Both Miss 13 and I plan to read it again and have some more discussions around the themes. Hopefully, her older brother will want to read it as well when he hears us discussing it.