BatKiwi and the Big Wet product reviews

One thing I'm thoroughly enjoying is the massive increase in New Zealand authored books that are actually set in New Zealand, with our native creatures and fauna. I have only flicked through the first book in this series, Batkiwi, but knew enough of the book that I didn't need to have read it fully to enjoy its sequel (although that is the beauty of picture books).

The book starts off with Kiwi and Bat racing through the forest, when they come across the iconic kiwi sand shell, lying in their way. They quickly forget about it, as it isn't causing them any issues but soon enough it plays an important part. Reminisce of recent floods affecting us humans, the rains come and keep on coming, without enough sun to dry things up in-between and soon enough the forest begins to flood. This is the perfect opportunity for Batkiwi to flex their hero ways and come to the rescue. Using the sandshell, they create a boat in which their friends can ride out the storm in, until the water recedes and all agree it is a handy item to hold on to.

I enjoyed the illustrations, the various creatures were easy to read in what emotions were going on and I particularly vibed with Kiwi's expression when "a big drop plopped on his head". From what I could see, all the creatures illustrated are New Zealand natives. Whilst my kids are not the demographic this book was aimed at, I read a LOT of picture books and feel this ticks the right boxes, it is fun, an easy to follow to plot and a good dose of excitement (perfect for those kids who like superheroes). I know just the right little person to hand this over too, they're going to have a blast with the superhero aspect of the book and the various animals that they can learn the names of.

This was a fun little book, easy to recommend and the New Zealand vibe always gets a tick from me.