FIVE WEE PŪTEKETEKE

Baby grebes face dangers in their lake.

Based on the song “Five Little Ducks,” this charming circular story from New Zealand is told in English and Maori in repetitive rhyming couplets. A mother pūteketeke goes out with her chicks, who one by one disappear. A parallel narrative in a different font provides facts about this “dinosaur-type bird,” also called the Australasian crested grebe. The backmatter states that this bird lives in Aotearoa, but it doesn’t explain that that’s the Maori name for New Zealand. Since Maori words aren’t defined in context in the text, many children will require some further context. Luckily, the meaning of the words roto (lake), iti (small), and the numbers from five to one are pretty clear from the illustrations. Still, readers who think they’ve cracked the code may be taken aback by a page on which there are only two chicks, though the text says “only toru iti pūteketeke came back.” Toru means three, but the third chick is on the facing page. Pearson’s mix of traditional sketching and digital art works well to highlight the unique look of these birds. Toki’s previous title Critters of Aotearoa (2023) described bizarre New Zealand wildlife such as the blobfish and the leaf-veined slug; these grebes are less curious, perhaps, but appealing as chicks and beautiful as adults. Readers and listeners will be heartened by the satisfying ending.

A bit of a puzzle but ultimately rewarding.