Koro Wētā

'Koro Wētā' by Heather Haylock is a beautiful picture book that celebrates New Zealand icons, including gumboots and the native wētā. The story follows a wētā who decides that the main character’s gumboots would make the perfect new home. Throughout the book, the reader follows a series of trial-and-error attempts by the main character to keep the wētā out of their gumboots. However, the wētā continues to return, clearly in need of a safe place to live.

As the story develops, the main character learns that the tree the wētā once lived in has been chopped down. This discovery brings an important environmental message about habitat loss and caring for nature. Instead of continuing to chase the wētā away, the character chooses a kind solution by building a new home for it in a tree. This allows the wētā to live safely while keeping the gumboots wētā-free.

The illustrations by Sarah Trolle capture the beauty of New Zealand’s landscapes, along with native birds and plants. An added strength of this book is the Māori translation on every page, which helps children connect Māori kupu with English. This book is ideal for young readers and classrooms, combining culture, kindness, and environmental awareness.