Kara the Kākāpō

You cannot resist picking up a book with a cover as stunning and vibrant as this. The illustrations inside certainly did not disappoint, either. In fact, each illustration was like an artwork in itself that could be framed and displayed. I was inspired to search for the illustrator on the internet, to see if they had produced any other illustrations and they were all as beautiful as the ones in this book.

The rhyming text ensures this is a delight to read aloud but is in no way convoluted. It succinctly and easily conveys the message that Kākāpō are flightless birds. However, this endearing Kākāpō is determined to fly and creatively builds herself an airplane to achieve this. The text itself is beautifully presented in an easy-to-read font with some words in a complementary larger font. Yellow text on dark backgrounds is very appealing.

For those readers who know little about Kākāpō there is an information page at the back of the book which gives relevant information without being overwhelming.

What a sensational debut book! I look forward to more from this collaboration.

Title: Kara the Kākāpō

Author: Danni Rae

Illustrator: Evan Heasman

Publisher: Little Love

ISBN: 9780473621759

RRP: $20

Format: paperback

Publication: June 2022

Ages: 2-6 years

Themes: Kākāpō, optimism, determination and creative thinking

Do you have any advisory warnings for this book? No

Would this book work as a read aloud? Yes, it reads aloud beautifully.

Is there a particular part of the country that it’s set in? It could be set in the bush anywhere in NZ.

Reviewer: Nadine Molloy, Library Assistant, Remarkables Primary School, Queenstown, Otago

How are you recommending this book? Highly recommended

Opening sentence: Every day, Kara would look to the sky, watching all the beautiful birds go by. But, no matter how hard she would try, Kara the Kākāpō could not fly!

You can buy this book here