Pipi and Pou Adventures Bks 5 & 6 by Tim Tipene, illus. Isobel Te Aho-White. Pub. OneTree House 2024

Pipi and Pou are a couple of Maori kids who have powers to transform into a Puakai(eagle) and taniwhai(sea monster) who along with their grandmother who is a tohunga(expert) in the natural world, tackle conservation and environmental issues as Kaitiaki(guardians).

These two latest adventures are books 5 & 6 in the series which are easy to read for primary and intermediate kids and contain a glossary in the back of all the Maori words used in the stories. The adventures are exciting and often bizarre and use creatures out of Maori myth and legend to make very good points about human abuse of the environment.

Others in this series are also reviewed elsewhere on this blog. Enjoy them.

Pipi & Pou and the Waves of Destruction

When huge waves start battering the east coast Pipi and Pou and their Nana instinctively know there is a problem unseen and take their car Betsey to the coast where they encounter a giant crab(Papaka) and discover a pod of stranded whales(Paikea).

They ride the great whale Humarika and need to keep the truth from the media to solve an environmental problem.

Pipi and Pou and the Firewoman

When a cousin Rawiri is accused of playing with matches and lighting a fire in a tinder dry forest, Pipi Pou and Nan set out to investigate and come head to head with an angry and powerful Firewoman(Mahuika).

They will need to use their transformation powers and instincts with Nana to solve the problem and confront this powerful woman.

Another great adventure and I am sure we haven’t seen the last of these tales.

Reluctant readers will enjoy these adventures.