"Long ago when the world was new the kiwi lived in the treetops with the other birds and played and sang all day long. But when a plague of insects threatens to destroy the forest mighty Tane calls upon the birds to save the precious trees. Who of all the birds will answer Tane's plea and what sacrifices will need to be made?"--Back cover. Suggested level: junior, primary.

Folktale from Aotearoa New Zealand. The kiwi once had beautiful rainbow-coloured wings. When Tane-hokahoka asked the birds to help protect the forest by living on the forest floor eating insects, only the kiwi agreed. Its legs grew sturdy and it lost its wings.

How Kiwi lost his wings retells a folktale from New Zealand, in which a Kiwi leaves the forest roof to live in the darkness of the forest floor and protect the trees. Being Kiwi introduces factual information about New Zealand.

There is more to a bird than simply feathers. And just because birds evolved from a single flying ancestor doesn't mean they are structurally the same. With 385 stunning drawings depicting 200 species, The Unfeathered bird is a richly illustrated book on bird anatomy that offers refreshingly original insights into what goes on beneath the feathered surface.

While the kiwi is often depicted as an endangered national symbol in need of our protection, this book takes a dramatically different route. Kiwi: the real story invites the reader into the secret night world of the North Island brown kiwi, illuminating the facts about its habitat, diet, courting, and parenting. Beautiful illustrations accompany a story that can be read on two levels: for young children a bold rhythmic verse describes kiwi in action in the bush, while the non-fiction narrative provides older readers with added insight into kiwi biology and behaviour. The combination of verse, factual text and bold expressive pictures harmonise in a new and intriguing view of a bird we feel we know so well, yet have much still to learn about. A collaboration between bookseller and librarian Annemarie Florian and artist Heather Hunt, Kiwi: the real story offers a memorable reading experience for readers of all ages.

This book explores the latest developments in evo-devo to explain the science behind tiger stripes, camel humps, and other fascinating animal traits.

A thrilling new series soars above the competition and redefines middle-grade fantasy fiction for a new generation!The seven dragon tribes have been at war for generations, locked in an endless battle over an ancient, lost treasure. A secret movement called the Talons of Peace is determined to bring an end to the fighting, with the help of a prophecy -- a foretelling that calls for great sacrifice.Five dragonets are collected to fulfill the prophecy, raised in a hidden cave and enlisted, against their will, to end the terrible war.But not every dragonet wants a destiny. And when the select five escape their underground captors to look for their original homes, what has been unleashed on the dragon world may be far more than the revolutionary planners intended . . .

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST • The bravely imagined, wildly acclaimed debut novel from the author of Vampires in the Lemon Grove—about a thirteen year old girl who sets out on a mission through magical swamps to save her family. "Ms. Russell is one in a million.... A suspensfuly, deeply haunted book." —The New York Times Thirteen-year-old Ava Bigtree has lived her entire life at Swamplandia!, her family’s island home and gator-wrestling theme park in the Florida Everglades. But when illness fells Ava’s mother, the park’s indomitable headliner, the family is plunged into chaos; her father withdraws, her sister falls in love with a spooky character known as the Dredgeman, and her brilliant big brother, Kiwi, defects to a rival park called The World of Darkness. As Ava embarks on her mission to save them all, we are drawn into a lush debut that takes us to the shimmering edge of reality.

The creation myth of Maori legend is simply told in Peter's stunning, illustrative style. Bold design and brief text introduce the struggle of the children of Rangi and Papa as they try to part their parents and bring light to the world.