Perky the Pukeko - Michelle Osmont and (illustrator) Sunset

Published by Little Friends Publishing Ltd: New Plymouth, New Zealand, 2007 (2004).

A rhyming story set on a New Zealand farm, Perky the Pukeko tells the story of Perky, raised from an egg put under a hen, and his adventures around the farmyard, before he finally makes his way to a nearby "pest-infested drain" where he finds "a place where he belongs/ with other pukekos." 

It's cute, with basic yet expressive drawings, and a few humorous touches - when Perky snaps a shoelace left at the door, for example, the farmer literally boards up the front door and adds a sign with a 'no pukekos' image. Another image has the farmer racing frantically to the barn, throwing an open can of paint behind him in his haste.

It feels very much like the story of Perky the Pukeko is based on a real-life animal, with possibly a few story embellishments, and Ezekiel seems to appreciate the story. 


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