Kids into Books: The Lies of Harry Wakatipu

Author: Jack Lazenby

Illustrator: Christine Bluess

Publisher: Longacre Press, $14.95

Age group: 10+ years


These shy fellow all felt in their pockets and pulled out presents for Wiki. Humming birds fossiled inside lumps of kauri gum. Petrified whisky. Ivory coins carved out of the tusks of the extinct Lake Waikaremoana sperm shale. Night after night, the tough-gutted bushmen leaned laconic around the walls of the hut, and listened to Wiki's stories.

It happened one day about noon, going towards the river, I was exceedingly surprised to find the print of a horse's hoof, which was very plain to be seen in the sand. I knew only one horse with such big feet, but said nothing to Wiki. We went out for a shot in the afternoon, but the kakas were shrieking a storm warning, and we cut home down the river-bed. The footprint was still there, so clear we could see the nail-holes in the horny rim of the hoof, so it couldn't be a wild horse. Wiki said nothing, just lashed her tail.

(Continued on page 14 of The Lies of Harry Wakatipu).

* Next week's book: Dragon Slayer's Academy: The new kid at school by K.H McMullan