Walter sits waiting for his family to get up. It’s his birthday and he’s super excited about opening his gift. He’s had his heart set on a drone, and has spent hours imagining all the places he can go, and tricks he can do with it, Finally his family emerge from their beds and find him waiting. The gift feels like a box. YES! it must be his longed for drone. But when he opens the wrapping, and then the box as fast as he can, he sees a… pillow shaped like a lion. Forcing a smile to his face to say thank you, he escapes to his bedroom with his huge disappointment. A pillow was up there with the ..read more

Brothers Paddy and Flynn live with their mum and dad in a cottage between an ancient forest and the sea. They have a much loved chocolate coloured dog called Coco. Stuck inside one day and bored, the boys began to play with Coco with raucous results. Poor Coco is banished outside, only to be snatched up by… a dragon! The brothers try to tell their mum, who won’t hear a word of it, and so they decide to plan how to get their beloved dog back. Little do they know their quest will involve nasty tasting sandwiches, a long walk and much danger. Working together, Paddy and Flynn draw on all their co ..read more

Brothers Paddy and Flynn are great mates, but living far from other children can sometimes get boring. Putting their heads together they come upon an idea – something they shouldn’t do, but now the thought is live there is no stopping them. Creeping quietly into their attic, they pore over all the strange boxes in the shadowy corners of the room. Soon they come upon a map! It shows them mysterious places with intriguing names:   Mother’s Knee Hill The Swamp of Children’s Wishes   and the most interesting of all – a place that hatches Dragons! Too exciting to ignore, they hatch a pla ..read more

Paddy and Flynn’s secret has grown quite large and with it, his appetite. Named Elton John by the brothers, this young dragon is quite happy to gobble up their dog Coco’s dinner though. Especially when offered spinach sandwiches instead. One day Elton decides its time to stretch his wings. In less than a blink he snatches up Paddy, Flynn and Coco and takes off. Where is he taking them? He seems to know where he is going though, flying high and far – right into a thunder of dragons! This fiery flock are red and green and brown and have assembled for the Dragon Games. But Paddy, Flynn and Coco a ..read more

One tūī is singing his heart out from a thin branch of a kowhai tree. He is happy with the blue sky above and the yummy yellow treat awaiting him in each kowhai flower. When another tūī arrives, he is not keen for company, but then another arrives, and another and another! Flapping, squawking, trilling and squeaking, more and more fly in, causing the branch to begin creaking! As they crowd one another, pushing and shoving, they begin to slide down the ever-thinning branch… They more they eat, the more they feel a little off kilter. Will they even be able to fly away even if they wanted to? The ..read more

Titch is apprehensive about moving away from Auckland and everything she knows. But her father has lost his job as the company he worked for went broke. Titch gets a clue how different life will be in Ngāruawāhia when she sees her mum pack away all her nice dresses. They’ll be no fancy parties in the town where her Nan lives. She settles in with her parents and little sister. Titch enjoys seeing her uncles and learning how to fish in the river. It’s near the river that she encounters an old Māori woman who seems to know her, but is not happy to see her. Watching the woman throw an eel trap in ..read more

Faelan dreads the imminent future. The wise leader of their wolf pack has died, leaving his son Weylan to step up and take his place. Weylan has been relishing the thought for months, laying threats at Faelan’s feet almost every time they meet. According to Weylan, Faelan’s chicken and skunk friends will finally be a tasty meal, and Faelan himself will be banished – if he’s lucky. Little does Weylan know that Faelan has also promised his chicken friend Avian to help her allow over 1000 of her chicken family and flock to escape from a local farm and horrendous conditions. Faelan’s mind is spinn ..read more

It’s become a pilgrimage for Louise and her father. Travelling to Lindisfarne needed time and patience, as tides ruled the entrance to it. After years of returning to the place they used to holiday with their wife and mum, they were used to waiting and watching the sea recede from the only road forward. As they waited to begin their yearly rituals of walks along the shore, meals in the local restaurants and refreshing their memories once more, a boy appears alongside their car. When Louise’s eyes lock upon his, she realises he’s a little older than she first thought. She is intrigued, especial ..read more

Far away in a small town, the people went to sleep, sure in the knowledge that something wonderful would visit them in the night. This particular town had something just on the edge of their buildings and streets, waiting for them all to put their heads down and close their eyes. This ‘something’ was a Dream Factory. When darkness fell each night, The Dream Factory came to life… A mist full of unicorns, rainbow clothing and other fantastical and wondrous things floated through the town and it’s folk’s sleeping minds. Life was good when The Dream Factory worked seamlessly every night. But then ..read more

Rabbit and Bear have woken in their cave. It’s smelly and messy and Rabbit isn’t happy. Bear points out they’ve eaten all the food and the mess is the result. Rabbit still isn’t happy and imagines the perfect world with no poo. There are marshmallows and hot chocolate in his vision and no jobs to do, like cleaning up poo. When they emerge from their winter cave, it is nothing like Rabbit imagined. He tries to tell their animal friends of what he’s seen in his head, but they don’t quite see it like he does. Rabbit and his ever-patient friend Bear set off to look for Rabbit’s perfect world. Bear ..read more