Take two cheeky cousins, a nan who is absolutely brilliant with her witty (and sometimes) cutting remarks, Aotearoa and Māori themes and a darn good yarn and you find yourself with the new series by Kiwi author Tim Tipene. Kicking off a new adventure with Pipi & Pou, the adventurous duo, finding themselves through their experiences with the world around them.
There’s always been something about their Nan’s connection with the natural world and they get introduced to a whole new way of seeing their environment, particularly the way that they interact with it. Supernatural themes come through in line with some of the fantastic stories that bridge English literary styles, and Māori mythology and magic. An area that Tipene knows and explores so well.
Tipene, off the back of his fantastic memoir White Moko has such a wealth of knowledge around storytelling and te ao Māori, lifts the characters off the page with his quintessential style of narrative and superb mix of dialogue and action.
The mountain (maunga) of the story is not a happy mountain. Between Pipi and Pou, the mountain needs both to be protected, but also to be connected with. Using their shapeshifting powers, the cousins must learn to be kaitiaki and also calm it down to avoid disaster.
This is such a brilliant concept for a new series. It’s fast, action filled, and well-written - all the requirements for a successful novel for your people today. Well worth the read!
Reviewer: Chris Reed
One Tree House