Fourteen years in the making, A Little Blue, has just been launched!
A Little Blue is a self published children’s picture book written and beautifully illustrated by Coaster Jeanette Goode. This delightful new book is the first in a series that feature the threatened species of Aotearoa New Zealand. It is written for 7 to 12 year olds and is particularly helpful for reluctant readers as Jeanette has drawn pictures to tell a slightly different and deeper story. It is a tale of love and the arresting power of nature and Jeanette is very kindly making a donation to the West Coast Penguin Trust for every copy sold!
Reviewer and author Melinda Szymanik has reviewed the new book:
“There is a lot to like about this sophisticated picture book/junior fiction hybrid. The title, A Little Blue, is a multi-layered clue to what we will find inside. Epistolary in form, the story follows Simmy’s time staying with her Dad at his beach side house on the West Coast.
“Simmy is living with her dad because her mum is sick, so the book begins with her begging her mother to let her come home. Everything is strange and not at all what she’s used to, and she’s stuck there until her mother gets better and there is no certainty that she will.
“We are cleverly drawn in to Simmy’s mind through the subtle text, beginning with the misery she feels as she misses her normal life and her mum most of all. But from letter to letter we find Simmy less and less resistant to her new surroundings as she gradually becomes involved in coastal life, especially with the pair of Little Blue Penguins nesting under her bedroom floor. We learn about penguins along with Simmy, and about the unexpected joys and challenges of living by the ocean.
“I was really charmed by this book. The writing is assured and captures Simmy’s voice well. There is plenty to discover in each letter and illustration about local life, local fauna and Simmy herself, and the story charts a realistic trajectory for Simmy’s transformation, ending with a satisfying twist.
“The accompanying artwork suits the feel of the book, effectively depicting the changing emotions and environment. A donation from every sale of this book goes to the West Coast Penguin Trust to assist with research, conservation and education programmes. Recommended for kids aged 7-10.”
You should be able to find it at a book shop near you or you can buy direct from Jeanette.
While materials were chosen that would stand up to the harsh coastal conditions, those same coastal conditions are conducive to plant growth! Occasional checks of the fences have been carried out by volunteers and rangers so that any maintenance needs can be identified and remedied. The never-ending need for maintenance is managing the vegetation that can grow through the fence, for example gorse, blackberry and hydrangea, pushing it to breaking point in places, or flop over causing damage from the weight of rank grass, rushes and weeds such as montbretia.
Volunteers recently spent a few hours tidying up the main fence along Woodpecker Bay north of Punakaiki so a big shout out to them - thank you Fiona, Jony, Reef, Katrina, Mandy, Marty, Teresa and Deb! Flax had been pressing down on the fence, but now the fence has been freed up by these wonderful volunteers - and they picked up a fair bit of rubbish too.
Volunteer Natassja Savidge has offered to check and help maintain the Hokitika penguin protection fence and joined Ranger Lucy Waller and Manager Inger Perkins in May to inspect the length of the fence. Some minor issues were found but the main finding was the extent of the vegetation growth that was damaging the fence in places. Big thanks to Natassja!
