Golden Eyes: The Yellow-eyed Penguin/Hoiho

Golden Eyes by Kelly Lynch is a great book to use in the classroom. It tells the story of a hoih0 or yellow-eyed penguin living at the bottom of the South Island. My students enjoyed learning about his daily life, especially how he looks after his partner and chick.

The book helped us talk about New Zealand wildlife and why it’s important to protect animals like Golden Eyes. The students were surprised to learn how rare these penguins are and what dangers they face from other animals like dogs and stoats.

The photos in the book helped bring the story to life, and the writing was clear and easy for my primary students to understand. The guide at the back about penguin viewing spots was also useful for linking the book to real places.

This book worked well in our science and reading lessons. It helped students learn new facts and think about how we can care for our environment. I recommend Golden Eyes for any primary class learning about animals or Aotearoa wildlife.