The Proud Puteketeke

This funny and fabulously New Zealand-flavoured tale of a puking Ugly Duckling who is, in fact, a grebe, includes facts about what makes the puteketeke so special and precious, as well as the real-life tale of how it came back from the brink of extinction to find international fame as the Bird of the Century! ..

A New Zealand Listener Top Children’s Book of 2024

Every day Māmā Duck proudly counts her clutch of six eggs – ‘Tahi, rua, toru, whā, rimu, ono’. But one day, there’s a big surprise – ‘WHITU?’

Out of the seventh egg hatches a very strange little duckling, who has an extraordinary habit of puking up! The other ducklings think he’s ridiculous. Will the little underbird find a friend who’ll love him in spite of his quirks?

Inspired by the real-life story of how the Southern crested grebe (also known to southern Māori as kāmana) came back from the brink of extinction to find international fame as Aotearoa New Zealand’s Bird of the Century.

Every copy sold raises funds to support pūteketeke conservation projects.